Yes, dear friend, you are not seeing an illusion. For the end of September, I've decided to spice things up. For this week's GSL rundown, I've decided to try and do the first ever GSL Power Rankings. Now, I know you might have some questions about what this is or how it works, so let me guide you through some of the common guidelines of this feature.

Seriously, TeamLiquid? Is this your first step in phasing out Brood War and it's Power Ranking? I will not stand for this injustice!

No, no, no. This is not going to take over TeamLiquid's fantastic Brood War monthly Power Ranking. In fact, this isn't TeamLiquid's Starcraft 2 Power Ranking at all. This is my own idea that I'm trying out and seeing if you guys enjoy it All thoughts and opinions in this piece are from and by me. No horses were injured in the process in the writing of this article.

Alright, so how does this Power Ranking thing work anyway? Is it monthly? Bi-monthly? Is it a ranking of the players achievements throughout the last year?

Well, due to the fact that the GSL is still a growing league and not as mature as it's Brood War counterpart, which has two running leagues and an all year Proleague where teams play every single week, I found it hard to do a ranking based solely on the past month. Instead, this ranking is based over the past few months of GSL tournaments and the GSTL season that is currently running. Of course, doing better currently weighs more than getting to quarterfinals four months ago, and to be in my top ten, you must show consistently good play.

Is the GSTL weighted the same as the GSL?

No. GSTL does factor in, and winning consistently can look good on your record, but for me, you need to also do well in the main leagues (especially Code S). We've seen so many amazing GSTL heroes like Seed (remember him?) and Squirtle come along, amaze us and Artosis with their play in the team league, and then fade away into the depths of Code B.

Do tournaments like MLG, Arena of Legends, WCG and other non-GOM tournaments matter?

Yes, but they are way undervalued below GSL and GSTL. Those tournaments can be based off how popular a player is or if their team has enough money to send them. Not every team has had the money to send people to foreign events to shine or had the exposure to be selected into special tournaments like Arena of Legends. I can't give major points to a player for doing so well at an event when another didn't get the same opportunity for reasons completely out of their control.

I'm starting to understand it now, but why do I not agree with your Power Ranking? Why isn't TheBest #1!? This is awful and I do not agree with your opinion!

That's great! I am not the Master of Power Rankings. I do not sit on a throne with my scepter and give the official word on who the best player in the world is. Everyone has their opinion and that is what makes TeamLiquid one of the best communities on the internet. This Power Ranking, in a lot of ways, is just a way to open a debate for the rest of you.

Will you be doing this feature every week? Month? Two months? Six months? Yearly!?

Again, this is just one of the few new things that I have planned for upcoming months for TL's GSL coverage. If you guys enjoy it, I am positive I will be doing more of these in the future. If you hate it, then I am sorry and your fruit basket will be in the mail by Thursday.

I'm sick of these questions and answers. Who the f*** am "I" supposed to be, anyway? Can we just get to the Power Ranking?

Good point! Without any further ado, your #1 player in the GSL Power Ranking is...






Let the booing begin. I have gone out on a major limb and proclaimed MVP the best player in not only the GSL, but the entire world as well! I know it's very out of left field that I've chosen him, but I can hopefully make you understand why he is topping this ranking.

Last GSL? He got picked by MC, two-time GSL champion, and had to face him in the first set of the group. The result? MVP destroyed MC and sent him on his long fall down to Code B. Next up? Super Tournament champion Polt, possibly the strongest pure bio player on the planet. Did this faze MVP? Nope, he smashed another GSL champion and made it out of the Group of Death without breaking a sweat.

He would follow up his destruction of two GSL champions by facing his teammate - a three-time GSL champion - Nestea. MVP, like he always has throughout his career, got the better of Professor Tea and stretched his record to 8-1 all-time against the best Zerg in the world. Just in the first two weeks of GSL August, MVP did enough to make himself the top player in the ranking.

That doesn't mean he ran out of quality opponents to mangle. He would then go on to run through Huk (Dreamhack champion), July (three time OSL Brood War champion) and TOP (Code A champion) to complete the hardest road in GSL history and capture his third title.

He did lose a few months ago to Bomber in the Code A Finals and to Ganzi in the Ro32 of the Super Tournament, but his domination in last month's GSL and developing encore this season have made him the clear number one. The only real blemish on his record in the past two months would be his loss to Tails in the quarter-finals of the GSTL. Yes, it was very unexpected and MVP did go for the 1-1-1 build that he said should be illegal, but hey, he beat three GSL champions in two weeks in decisive fashion. I think we can give him a break on his loss.





In the last four GSL tournaments (including the current one), the only people to knock out Nestea have been MVP (current champion) and TOP (current runner-up). The only reason Nestea isn't the best in the world due to how dominant MVP is currently in the GSL and against himself, but he is still, to me, head and shoulders above the rest of the competition for the second spot.

We can't forget that in July he had a PERFECT GSL season, going undefeated and absolutely manhandling his teammate Losira in the finals. It was only two months ago people were throwing around the b-word (and no, it's not Bon Jovi) with Nestea and believing that he could go on a run with consecutive championships. Sadly, in August, he got a rude awakening when he faced MMA in the group stages and lost his first game in over a month. This resulted in him facing MVP and getting knocked out of the tournament. MMA also beat Nestea in the recent Arena of Legends tournament, but let's be real people. Nestea puts Code S before everything. If he has a Code S match coming up or if he's still in the hunt for another title, all his attention will go towards the elusive fourth title. I know he lost to Tails just like MVP before him, but Nestea usually doesn't practice or play in the team league. I'm not saying he didn't try his hardest for his team, but even the God of Zerg can be wounded at times.

Nestea got his revenge in the current GSL, facing MMA again in the group stages. This time MMA couldn't seal the deal and lost in a very close game. Nestea followed up that win by defying logic in his match with Nada (Banelings counter Thors?) and advancing to the round of sixteen. If Nestea can get past Virus in the next round and if MVP can beat his arch-rival Bomber, the two of them will meet once again in the deep stages of a GSL. Could this finally be the time when Nestea takes down MVP and reclaims his spot atop the mountain?





Remember when we talked about those GSTL superstars that impressed in the team league and couldn't back it up in Code S? DongRaeGu is not one of those players. If anything, he should get bonus points for the way he's carried his team into the playoffs and led them into the finals. He is 13-2 in the team league; won the LG 3D Cinema Special Tournament a few months back over sC in a classic series; won Dreamhack Valencia over Thorzain; won the Code S spot at MLG Raliegh; is in the finals of the GSTL; made it to the finals of Arena of Legends; and while doing all this, had enough time to go on TL-Attack and have fun with the community.

Before this season started, all of his GSTL accomplishments appeared to be at risk. If DongRaeGu had come into this season's GSL, went 1-2 and got bounced out, believe me, he would not be this highly ranked. He was put into, my opinion, one of the three hardest groups this tournament with Polt, Taeja, and Killer. He not only got out of the group, but he dismantled his group with clinical precision. Like MVP last tournament, DongRaeGu made quick work of his first two games and got into the knockout rounds without much trouble. With his world class ZvT and a bunch of Terrans left in the tournament, he has to be one of the odds on favorites to lift the GSL trophy at Blizzcon.

Looking at his losses, he's only accumulated ten while playing in the GSL. The only time he has lost a series so far in his GSL career was against JYP, who has shown us that he has some unbelievable PvZ when on his game. DongRaeGu is still some ways below the two titans at the top due to him being in his first Code S while Nestea and MVP have been collecting titles for the last year, but next to MVP, you couldn't name a player with more momentum than DRG at the moment.





Ryung!?

Yes, Ryung. He was put into one of the three toughest groups this season (group B) and topped it by beating up poor MarineKing and taking down Bomber to prove he is the real deal. When your best match-up is TvT and the whole tournament is five thousand Terrans, three Zergs and one Protoss, you have a great chance of winning. His worst match-up, TvP, has basically been abolished by current trends and should be a non-factor for the near future of Code S.

Another reason I regard Ryung so highly is how he's been playing the past couple of months. Ryung coming into October and topping a group that included MarineKing, Puzzle and Bomber wasn't all that surprising when you've been watching him in the past few GSL's. Last month, he got all the way into the quarterfinals before getting knocked out in a series against July where he was so, so close to getting into the semifinals and giving MVP his toughest challenge of the entire tournament.

Ryung qualified for Code S two seasons ago by sweeping his entire Up-and-Down group, which included MarineKing (still a tough Terran), Dream (a promising young Terran), Happy (one of the best new Terrans we've seen in the past few months), and FruitDealer (hey, he won the GSL, remember!?) with marvelous play. And even before getting into Code S, he fought all his way to the quarterfinals of the Super Tournament before losing to eventual finalist, teammate and rival, MMA.

Matched up against another Terran for the current RO16, Ryung has a good shot of matching his previous best finish of top eight. Also, by being on the weaker side of the bracket that doesn't include MVP, DongRaeGu, Bomber or Nestea, he has a great shot of going all the way to the finals in Anaheim. He might have to face his teammate/rival MMA to get there, but with how he currently is playing TvT, it would be hard to bet against Ryung when facing anybody not named MVP in the match-up.





Come on, Bomber. Me and you both know that you have the talent to be up there with the best in the world. Why do you continue to lose before making the semi-finals? I can excuse losing to Nestea in the Super Tournament due to him being Nestea and all, but in the past two tournaments, you've lost in the quarter-finals to Byun (who is sadly now in Code B) in a massive choke and then to Keen (who should stop picking Nada in group selections) in the round of sixteen last season.

It doesn't matter that at times he can look like the best player in the world. Players like MVP and Nestea might lose here and there, but they continually win championships. Bomber hasn't even made it to the semifinals in the three main GSL tournaments he's entered so far. He did win the Code A final against MVP before those three consecutive, letdown seasons, but that was Code A. For Bomber to rise in the rankings, he needs to make a semi-final at least.

For that to happen, he needs to beat MVP in the round of sixteen this season and then most likely face Nestea in the quarter-finals. Luckily for Bomber, he seems to always have MVP's number. It feels like whenever these two play, Bomber is able to come out atop in the end. You could say Bomber is the favorite, but you have to remember that this is Code S. Bomber could beat MVP in a somewhat meaningless Code A Final (back then, winning Code A only meant getting to pick who you wanted to face in Up-and-Downs first), but can he knock him out of Code S and stop him from winning back-to-back crowns?

Another reason for Bomber being so high, even with him never making a Code S semifinal, has to be his performance in the GSTL. If DongRaeGu is the Count of Carrying, Bomber is at the very least a Baron. He was 8-3 in the past season and was called on multiple times to get multiple kills for his team and secure the win. If It wasn't for Bomber carrying the load, Startale would more than likely have missed the playoffs and finished near the very bottom of the table.

It's time for you to step up, Bomber. No more excuses. We all know you have the skill to challenge for the #1 ranking and it's time you start to show it.





"Why is Polt here?", some of you might ask [Editor's note: We're actually proud that you managed to keep him out of the top five]. Again, if this was solely based on the current tournament, Polt doesn't make the top ten. No question. But we're looking at recent GSL results, and you might not believe it, but coming into October, Polt had better GSL reslts than either MVP or Nestea.

Polt - Super Tournament (Champion), July (Ro16 vs. Bomber), August (Ro4 vs. TOP)
MVP - Super Tournament (Ro32 vs. Ganzi), July (Ro32 Group Stage), August (Champion)
Nestea - Super Tournament (Ro16 vs. TOP), July (Champion), August (Ro16 vs. MVP)

Out of the last three champions, Polt was actually on a bigger roll than either MVP or Nestea. Of course, with the October results, Polt's ranking has dropped and now he sits in the sixth spot behind the two other champions, Mr. DRG and two other high class Terrans. He would have dropped even lower if he hadn't been able to take out Taeja and continue his crusade against all things Slayers. Polt was able to stay in Code S for another season without going to the Up-and-Downs and did it in a pretty tough group.

Sadly, beating Taeja in impressive fashion, having consistent results, and staying in Code S does not excuse the fact of how badly he played in his games against Killer. Polt, who is known for his TvP, lost two straight games to Killer to get knocked out of the group. The thing is, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal if it wasn't for how weirdly he played. The first game was Killer doing a neat build, but the rematch in the final game of the group with a RO16 spot on the line was just bizzare.

Polt didn't scout. He didn't attack. He went for hellions. He used a build that he never used before in his strongest match-up. If he had played how he does usually, and not even above average, he probably would have won with a simple poke or timing attack with his bionic units. I've come to the conclusion that Polt A) somehow got drunk in between the games, B) he lost a bet and had to use that weird build in the final set, or C) the one I think is most plausible, Killer actually has secret hypotic powers, and used them to force Polt to play exactly opposite from normal.

He might be in the sixth spot now, but Polt is truly at the crossroad of his career. He just switched from Prime to TSL and can't live off the Super Tournament championship forever. The new patch will make his bionic play in TvT even more deadly, but if he doesn't make it out of the group stages next tournament, he will more than likely will be out of the top ten.

Also, just like how Keen should stop picking Nada, stop picking Killer. If he has the power to make you not scout, not poke, not attack, and more or less control your mind, then you're screwed.





This was a tough choice. It was either Losira, finalist of two seasons ago and third best Zerg in the world currently (with Coca furiously catching up very rapid improvement), or MMA, finalist in the GSL three seasons ago and arguably the best TvZ player in the world. In the end, I went with the player who has been in Code S longer and was in a more recent final.

Losira did lose to Ganzi, but it was Ganzi's strongest match-up (by far) against Losira's weakest match-up (by far). Not taking away anything from Ganzi's victory and strong showing in his first appearance in Code S, but Losira still has the second strongest ZvP in the world (after Nestea) and his ZvZ is in the top three alongside Nestea and DongRaeGu.

Like most finalists who get their asses royally kicked in the finals, Losira had an off season in August and was knocked into the Up-and-Downs. Losira, being the top player he is, fought out from the depths of hell and is now on the warpath to get to his second finals.

Another reason why Losira is here is due to him delivering so well for IM in the GSTL. While MVP and Nestea were often never used, Losira was always ready to be sent out and even got an all-kill against HoSeo. In his past four tournaments, he lost in the first round to Polt (eventual champion), got to the finals and lost to the champion, had his finals hangover last season, and is now in the round of sixteen.

Losira's ZvT might hold him back in the end due to the large amount of Terrans on the prowl, but make no mistake, with Losira on the weaker side of the bracket, he has a legit chance of beating anyone in his way to the final. MMA might be the biggest challenge if the two meet in the semifinals, but you can never count out the boy who changes his hair color every season.





After getting beat by Polt in the Super Tournament finals and then catching the losing finalist curse the next season by losing to eventual Code A champion Puzzle, the Son of the Emperor is finally getting back on track. MMA's TvZ is still the best in the world and his TvT is above average, but his TvP is what has been giving him the most trouble throughout his GSL career. Hahahaha, as if that matters. There are almost no Protoss players left in Code S and they all might be gone by Decemeber. At this rate, we won't even remember what TvP is anymore ("Daddy, how did the Protossaurs go extinct?" "A giant EMP hit the earth").

The former King of GSTL wasn't used much at all this season, being allowed to rest after getting SlayerS to back-to-back titles. When he was being overworked, having to play in the GSTL, GSL and fly to America for MLG, he fell apart in the finals of the Super Tournament and got swept by Polt. Now, with the GSTL out of his mind and no MLG in sight, he has full concentration to try and get back to another finals.

During the last tournament, GSL August, he 2-0'd the second hardest group that had Nestea, Happy and Kyrix in it. He started off by beating Happy impressively in a back-and-forth battle and then shocked Nestea by beating him down for the first time in over a month. Sadly, in the RO16, he would then meet Polt for the second straight GSL tournament. He would yet again get eliminated by his white whale after having an amazingly impressive group stage.

He came back this season and challenged Nestea for a second straight tournament. This time, it didn't work as well, playing Nestea in a close match that he could have won, but he overextended and lost in the end to the top Zerg in the world. This didn't make MMA falter, though. He went on to beat Keen and Nada, advancing to the round of sixteen.

Now, with the underrated asd in this round and a potential meet-up with his teammate Ryung in the quarterfinals, MMA has his sights set on California. The best news of all? Polt got hypnotized by Killer and is out of the tournament.

Who in the hell will be able to beat MMA now!?





Like Polt, TOP is here due to his very consistent play in the past couple of months. He did have the usual runner-up slump, now having to contend in the Up-and-Downs to get back into Code S next season, but if you look at the results from his last few GSL's, you can see why I would include him in the top ten for this month.

Super Tournament - Beat Nestea in the Ro16 and then got to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Polt.

July - Got to the round of sixteen before losing to eventual finalist Losira.

August - Got to the finals by beating Polt in a rematch of the Super Tournament clash and then lost to the champion MVP.

In the last four months, TOP has been eliminated by a player who would go on to either win the finals or lose in them. If that trend continues, Coca will be getting to the finals where he will either shock the world or get destroyed by one of MVP, DongRaeGu, Nestea, Bomber, etc.

TOP would have been higher if he didn't go 0-2, getting beaten badly by Coca in the first match-up of the night. Coca absolutely dominated him and made TOP look very weak in the process. Luckily, every great player to ever make a final has dropped to the Up-and-Downs at least once. It is time for TOP to prove that he deserves to be on this ranking and that the runner-up hangover won't take him down. Losira and MMA were both able to overcome it, and I fully expect TOP to be back next season with more determination than ever to get back into the finals.





This was really tough. It came down to Ganzi, Coca, Nada, Clide, MarineKing and July. Nada? Hasn't made it past the round of sixteen since GSL May where he lost to Inca in the semifinals. Clide? He has never made it out of the round of sixteen. July? He made the semifinals last season, but he's been inconsistent and still can't win a ZvZ. MarineKing? Made the Code A finals, but couldn't win it and got bounced in the group stages. He's getting stronger, but he needs to get back into the knockout rounds. Coca? He was barely left out of the #10 spot. He has obviously improved his weakest match-up, ZvT, since he joined Slayers and he absolutely owned his group that housed TOP, Alive and Supernova. In the end, though, after looking at his below .500 record and only one past quarter-final where he got mauled by Nestea, I went with his new teammate, the current Code A champion and the player who topped a more difficult group, Ganzi.

When I think of Slayers, I think of their main three Terrans. Ryung, Ganzi, and MMA. To make it easier, I have nicknamed them the Neapolitan Terran Trio. If you don't know what Neapolitan ice cream is, it's basically ice cream with three different blocks of flavors in it: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

MMA is obviously the chocolate since everyone loves chocolate. Ryung is the strawberry; it tastes good on occasion, but if you eat it every single day, you get sick of it. Kinda like watching Ryung play TvT. Finally, Ganzi is the vanilla. He doesn't have the flashy play that MMA has or the completly dominating aura Ryung has in TvT, but Ganzi is reliable. He might not always be the most exciting (except when playing MarineKing), and he might be a plain ole' Terran when facing Protosses by hitting them with the always reliable 1-1-1, but he's stable and filling. Oh, and for all of you who are gonna send me angry e-mails about leaving out Taeja from this comparison, he can be the chocolate chip mint of SlayerS (love or hate).

Ganzi is in this top ten not only because he won Code A and 2-0'ed his first ever Code S group, but he was also the last person to defeat MVP in a TvT BoX series in the GSL. All the way back in the Super Tournament, in the Round of 32, Ganzi made a name for himself by defeating MVP and knocking him out of the GSL when he was on of the favorites to win the whole thing. Ganzi would move on to get beaten down by teammate MMA in the next round, but he showed lots of promise in that run.

It would take two months to qualify through the purgatory that is the Code A qualifiers, but when he finally did, he made the best of it by reeling off a ten game winning streak and then beating MarineKing in the final to grab the title. The only black mark on Ganzi's record in the past few months is that he wasn't very good in the GSTL. He went 1-4 for Slayers, but to be fair, almost every single Slayers player underperformed this season. Don't look past the Vanilla Terran. He might not be the flashiest or most dominant Terran in the Slayers team currently, but he has the potential to capture the first GSL title for his team.

Outside the Ten

Coca - If there was a top eleven, he would be there. Watch out for him to make a semifinal run.

Nada - He hasn't gotten past the round of sixteen since May and didn't make it out of the group stages for the first time. Please make it far next time, Nada. I want to see you in the top ten.

July - I predicted it in the preview special. July is a bear. He gets to a semifinal or final and then hibernates for a few seasons before making a deep run in the tournament. July is still a very good Zerg, but he hasn't been as consistent as the three in the top ten or as impressive as Coca recently.

Clide - If you make the finals, you automatically get #1. I don't even care if MVP kills you 4-0 and shaves off your sideburns. Can you please, at least, get to the quarterfinals? I know beating Ryung is going to be amazingly difficult, but I believe in your sideburns.

Happy - Very impressive in the group stage. It was the weakest of all the groups, but Happy has potential. Anyone who gets to practice with MVP that much is going to get really good sooner or later.

MarineKing - Got back into Code S and then got beat by Bomber and Ryung. MarineKing has looked better lately and looks to finally be getting out of that terrible slump he had that landed him in Code A. He did win another event tournament, though! Does MLG count as a "special" event for Korean purposes? Watch out for him at Orlando, and in the next GSL tournament.

Protoss in the GSTL - I want to give props to Tails for knocking out MVP and Nestea back-to-back. Sadly, he isn't in the GSL currently and couldn't be put in the top ten. Genius got a four-kill in the semifinals, taking his team to the finals. JYP got a three-kill in the semifinals as well, but he still hasn't learned to beat Terran. Finally, a shout out to Creator, who got a four-kill, and like Genius, got his team into the final. Creator - at the young age of fifteen, if he ever makes it to the GSL - has gigantic potential to be something really good.

Sadly, I couldn't put any Protoss in the top ten for this ranking. Protoss hasn't been doing that well in the recent GSL's. I know this is going to hurt all you sad Zealots, but sit down for a second. I have a fact to share with you all to prove how bleak Protoss has been the past few months.

Out of every single Protoss to EVER make a GSL semifinal, they are all either out ENTIRELY from the GSL, or...they're HongUn.

Until next time, TeamLiquid.

MVP vs. Bomber

Wow, could the round of sixteen start off with a bigger match? MVP has been dominating for the past two months. He beat three GSL champions in a span of two weeks, played an almost picture perfect TvT final to gain his third championship, and cleared the group phases in impressive fashion. The only thing that MVP hasn't conquered in the past couple of months has been Bomber. In the GSTL this season, Bomber had MVP's number. In the MLG Invitational, Bomber beat him again. Five months ago, when MVP was slumping in Code A and Bomber was making his way through the ranks, they met in the final and Bomber, like usual, beat MVP.

So, if Bomber has been beating MVP time after time, why am I going to take MVP when these two MLG champions clash? It's because Bomber has shown, time after time, that he can't be trusted to get the big win in Code S. He lost to Byun in one of the biggest chokes in GSL history, showing perfect TvT play in the first two games, almost giving Artosis a heart attack from how beautiful it was, and then falling apart in the last three games. Last season, after getting through his group with a 2-0 record, he was matched up against a very good, but not high class, Terran in Keen. Once again, Bomber faltered against a weaker opponent in a match-up he's usually very strong in and couldn't make it into the semifinals.

MVP has three GSL championships. Bomber, even with massive raw skill and talent, still hasn't made a semifinal against weaker competition than MVP has had to face in his countless runs to title. There is a good chance that Bomber finally gets over the hump, beats MVP and goes on to win the entire GSL, but I can't bet against the current best player in the world. I bet against him when he faced TOP, and he made me look like an idiot for doing so. Never again!

Prediction: MVP 2 - 1 Bomber

NesTea vs. Virus

Before I tell you my prediction, let me make this clear: Virus isn't a bad player. I said in the preview special that I didn't find him anything special or future champion caliber, but he surely has the potential to become the next Ensnare. Be solid, win a game or two every Code S, get into the Round of 16 on occasion and then get beat down by someone better than you.

Sadly, this is one of those times where he beat Huk twice, got out of the group unexpectedly, and now has to face a better opponent than himself. The God of Zerg is now in direct competition with his teammate MVP to be the first player to four titles, and they have a direct collision course for the second straight tournament if both can get past their round of sixteen opponents.

Crazier upsets have occurred in the GSL (SanZenith and Line come to mind), but I can't bet against the best Zerg in the world. The only players to take him down in the past five months have been either championship finalists (TOP and MMA) or MVP. Virus is going to give it his best shot - and I hope this series isn't totally one-sided - but I see a quick victory here for Nestea.

Prediction: Nestea 2 - 0 Virus

GanZi vs. Leenock

This is quietly one of the best match-ups in the round of sixteen. Ganzi, the Code A champion, has been on an absolute tear lately and got through his group as the number one seed. Leenock, the ZvT specialist, did well in his return to Code S after several months by making it out of the group.

Both of these players will be playing their best match-ups in the series and more than likely deliver a close contest. Ganzi might not get the fanfare that his Terran teammates Ryung or MMA do, but he has been doing amazingly well ever since his deep run at MLG Anaheim a few months ago. He plays a strong, solid game and isn't afraid to mix it up with cheese from time to time. He might not be the one to throw out the crazy micro like MMA or the strong macro of Ryung, but there is something about Ganzi that makes me feel like he could make it really deep in this tournament.

Leenock is a very good player and exceptional against Terran, and I believe he will slowly and surely make his way up through the Zerg ranks in the coming years to where Nestea is now, but I think Ganzi is the better player between the two at this very second. Leenock lost in the recent Code A semifinals to MarineKing, and I would rank Ganzi's TvZ, which is one of the best, right alongside MarineKing's. Slayers has been dominating this tournament so far, getting four of their six players in the round of sixteen (why did you pick Bomber, Puzzle?), and Ganzi will continue the run of momentum for Boxer's men.

Prediction: Ganzi 2 - 1 Leenock




DongRaeGu's first Code S started with a bang. Getting put into one of the harder groups of the tournament alongside Taeja (Korean Weekly God), Polt (Super Tournament champion) and Killer (Manliest Man in the Maniverse), DRG made quick work of business and cruised to the first seed without breaking much of a sweat. While other newbie to Code S, highly touted Taeja, showed a strong case of nerves in his first big GSL tournament, DongRaeGu looked like he had been around since day one.

His opponent will be Supernova from oGs. With Nada, Top and now Fin taking up all the attention from the fans, Supernova has always been overlooked when it comes to the Terrans from his team. He made it the second Code A finals, facing off against Losira and lost in a close series that showed he would be a mainstay in Code S for a long time to come. The Terran made good on that potential and has been in Code S ever since.

Supernova has never gone very far in Code S, only getting to the round of sixteen once and then quickly eliminated by his teammate TOP. With the rest of oGs eliminated already from the tournament, Supernova will be trying to get to his first quarterfinal and get recognition for his stellar play.

In the end, I see the DongRaeGu train continuing to roll on the tracks. He's on a high with his recent success in the GSTL and MLG, and to me, Supernova feels more like a litmus test for new players coming into Code S. He's one of the gate keepers of Code S, you can say. They're good, not great, and can beat on the lower level Code S players, but when going up against the best players, they will more than likely lose.

If DongRaeGu wants to be considered one of the best players in the world, he needs to beat Supernova. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Prediction: DongRaeGu 2 - 0 SuperNova




The question in this match is: Can Clide make his first ever quarterfinal after a year of Artosis saying he's the greatest player in the world?

Ryung says no. I sadly, and with tears in my eyes, also have to say no. Clide's TvT is great; it's his strongest match-up and is the main reason why he usually gets into the round of sixteen. It's always the same story for Clide. He does amazing in the group stages, usually topping his group as the first seed, and then heads into the knockout rounds with major momentum on his side.

Then he falls apart. He plays badly. He uses nukes to blow up trees instead of enemies. He mismanages his army. He attacks when no sane man should be attacking. It's like there is some mental barrier that makes Clide just fall apart when reaching the round of sixteen. He can look like one of the best Terrans in the world when he's in the opening group phase, but put him into the final sixteen and it's an entirely new player in the booth.

If it wasn't for his opponent, I would go with my heart and pick Clide. Ryung currently has the second best TvT in the world behind MVP. He got through his group as the top player, beating MarineKing and Bomber in the process, and is trying to get to his third quarterfinal in the past four months. I'm sure if Ryung had his way, he would have the entire Code S be entirely Terran and devour on long, drawn out TvT's for the rest of his life.

Nothing would make me more happy than if Clide could finally get over his fear of the quarterfinals and pull off the upset. I enjoy Ryung's play and believe he is one of the favorites to get into the final from his side of the bracket, but come on, it's Clide! The greatest player in the universe will take a game off of the player who never smiles, but Ryung will come out atop in the end, I'm afraid. Another tournament. Another round of sixteen exit for Cllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiideeeeeeee.

Prediction: Ryung 2 - 1 Clide




In another TvT (cause everyone loves it!), we see MMA, the man formely known as Jjob (no, seriously, this was his name back when he started in the GSTL), against asd, the man formerly known as Nuclear, who I always get confused with ZeNexHack, who was the man formerly known as Nuke.

I had a whole spiel about how MMA, in his first big moment in the GSTL, won three straight games against ZeNex and then, before completing the amazing reverse all-kill, got beat by asd in the final game. Then I checked the records and found out that it was actually Nuke, and not Nuclear, who beat MMA on that night.

Oh well.

MMA is finally in a GSL where Polt isn't there to knock him out, so I find his chances good against the Terran from FXO. asd, his opponent, is severely underrated and surprised many by topping his group with Huk, Zenio and Virus in it, and will try to continue his run by taking on the former GSL finalist.

I expect MMA to win, but asd looked good in the group stage and has shown that he can get it done in a TvT. The Slayers player should win this and move on to another quarterfinals, but I can't help get this nagging idea in the back of my head that we might very well see an upset here.

Then Boxer punched me in the stomach and that thought quickly went away. MMA wins!

Prediction: MMA 2 - 1 asd




In a battle of Incredible Miracle players, Losira, the student of Nestea, goes up against Happy, the student of MVP. In a duel between MiniTea and MiniVP, who will come out as the victor?

Losira's ZvT is well below the rest of his match-ups. It has improved lately, not being as bad as it once was, knocking TOP out in the round of sixteen and then Byun in the semifinals two seasons ago when he made his run to the finals before getting eaten by Nestea. Even with it being improved, the fact still remains that it is two classes below the rest of his match-ups.

Happy is a newer player on the scene and has impressed me ever since he made his debut in Code A. He is coming into this match as the number one seed from his group, beating Genius (sad, sad Protoss) and, to my surprise, Leenock.

As these two are basically lesser versions of the two best players in the world, I'll just cheat and pick Happy due to:

A. Losira's weak ZvT
B. MVP always beats Nestea
C. This tournament needs more Terrans advancing, doesn't it?

Prediction: Happy 2 - 1 Losira

CoCa vs. Killer

Hold on, why the hell is there a Protoss icon in this Code S preview? I didn't even know they existed anymore in these parts.

Killer, the man, the myth, and the could-be legend if he somehow, miraculously, wins this tournament, will be going up against the fast rising star Zerg from Slayers, Coca. Killer got to the round of sixteen by beating one of the best TvP players in the world, Polt, twice in the same night. He didn't revolutionize the match-up or play the best any Protoss has in the history of the GSL, but he got the job done and got through when no other player could from his race.

If Killer could somehow, someway get to the finals of this tournament, it might be the best story since FruitDealer carried the Zerg flag all the way back in the first ever season when his race couldn't beat anyone. Now, with all the hope of Aiur on his back, can the manliest man in the entire GSL come out atop for his brothers?

...Ah...uh...well...it's possible, but...I don't see it. Coca showed in his group that he means serious business this tournament. He not only beat TOP, the runner-up from last season, but he took him behind the woodshed and beat him up until he could take it no more. He followed that up by running over Supernova to get first place in his group and a spot in the round of sixteen. He looked absolutely dominant.

Good news for Protoss fans would be that Killer did beat Coca three months ago in a Korean Weekly, but that was the old Coca. This is the new, powerful, Mega Coca. Now on Slayers, he has upped his game in his weaker areas and has improved to be one of the best Zergs currently in the GSL.

For Killer to win, he needs to play smart. He can't let Coca mass up bases and get behind the eight ball. He needs to bring some specifically planned builds into the match and be ready to unleash them when need be. I want to pick Killer and root for the sad zealots of the world, but I'm really loving how Coca has been playing the last month since losing to Keen in the last GSL. With him being on the weaker side of the bracket, away from the more higher caliber plays, Coca has a shot of going a long way this tournament.

Prediction: Coca 2 - 1 Killer