[Code S] Grand Finals 2012 GSL Season 2

This is your 5th time in ro16 in a row

During practice, I had most difficulty against Protoss. There were two Protosses in a group so making it to ro16 makes me delighted.

In your first match, you lost to a Terran, not a Protoss

Despite our builds being similar, I got behind. Losing the build side of the game, I played impatiently. I think impatience was the cause of my downfall.

You had a one-sided victory against Puzzle in the loser’s match

I was confident about Entombed Valley in Set 1 since I had a lot of practice on that map. Frankly, I couldn’t say the same about Set 2 on Daybreak. If Daybreak were to be selected, I was going to just warm up playing standard then take Set 3. Also, the build I used on Daybreak was a never-before seen build. I got behind with my build but with the medivac fake working out well, I took the game easily.

You met Ryung again in the final match to pay him back in style

I lost the first match because of impatience. So in the final match, I paid great care to my builds to start the games with an advantage. However, my build didn’t work in Set 1 so it seemed difficult. Then, my battlecruisers netted me a win and I rode that momentum to take the series.

What do you think is the reason for you recent slump?

I’ve said often before that wrists and my health in general have not been the best. Even during practice this time, I suffered from enteritis. I couldn’t practise because of my bad condition. So I’ve stayed stagnant whilst others advanced onward.

How is your health lately?

I thought the reason I couldn’t exert any force on my wrist was because of the wrists themselves. However, I recently got in touch with GGPlay (T/N: the name MVP mentions has two results in TLPD, the other, Jjando, just looks very unlikely to be whom he is talking about). He told me that he had the exact same symptoms that I have. At the time, GGPlay retired and I continued. After GGPlay got out of the army, he had an examination which revealed that the problem wasn’t in the wrist but in the cervical disc. So, I am planning to get my cervical disks examined shortly.

Your goal this season?

First, it’s to get to ro8 so that I get to stay in Code S. Once I achieve this, I will set a new higher goal.

It’s ro16 group nominations on Sunday. When do you think you’ll get picked?

Lately, Terran’s a pushover, right? (laugh) So I think I’ll get picked rather soon. Lately, MKP is on a roll so being in the same group as him should be fun.

Anything to add?

I want to thank my mother, father and older sister who always cheer me on from home. Even today, I received texts from my family before the games. They were a great help.
The coach is having a tough time right now but I’m sure everything will work out soon so I hope he feels better. Also, Nestea plays his ro32 games tomorrow so I hope he does well and lastly, I’m grateful to my girlfriend (T/N: wait what? Since when?).

You’ve made ro8 after some close matches

I’m relieved that I’ve advanced. I think I can play with an easy mind now that I’ve secured next seson’s Code S spot.

Were you expecting difficult games?

I knew that they weren’t going to be easy because my condition is bad today but today’s matches exceeded my expectations.

What did you think about the group?

People told me it was a group of death but I was satisfied. July was the one I chose so I was confident about beating him and I have experience beating Hero in foreign tournaments. I had some debts to pay Leenock so I saw it as a great opportunity.

Your skill level has dropped a lot recently, do you feel it yourself?

I do. The health problems do affect practice after all. Other players keep progressing but I remain stationary. My hands felt numb after my games against Leenock today. If the match went on any longer, I would have lost.

Are you working hard to regain your health?

I have a hospital appointment for next week. I will start intensive treatment next week.

You take on Naniwa in ro8

Naniwa has a huge momentum so the match will be close. I think whichever player manages to practise better will win. If I win, it will be 3:2.

What are your plans on foreign tournaments?

I won’t be attending for a while. I will only attend ones that my team thinks are absolutely necessary.

Anything to add?

I practised for three days and IMTrue helped me so much. I want to thank I want to thank True, my parents who cheer me on from home, my older sister and also celebrate with my girlfriend whose birthday is coming up soon.

This is now your fifth time in ro4 of Code S

I returned from China yesterday. I thought the match would be physically difficult so I’m glad I had an easy win. This is my first ro4 in a long time so I’m very excited.

You relied heavily on strategy not once but twice. Was it because of your wrist? Some other problem?

I am of the opinion that you should be punished for risky play. If you get greedy with me, you will get punished. Naniwa is a player who has a risky early game and gets a good economy. Those strategies were a response to that.

Today’s control made it difficult to believe you have a wrist injury. How was it today?

I couldn’t really exert my wrist even in today’s games. It was difficult to mineral boost with my workers at the start. Other than that, it was okay.

Your team and Naniwa have had some run-ins in the past. Did you think about those in your match today?

Not really. I’ve faced foreigners several times in the GSL and never lost once. Since we’re playing on my home soil, I believed that I had the advantage. I think that led to my victory.

Lately, Protosses are on the rise but you keep the Terran pride strong.

Protosses are definitely on the rise. Still, the Terrans that are left are extremely powerful players. There should be at least one more Terran in ro4. I hope the finals is a TvP rather than a PvP.

Your next match is a TvP no matter what. Who do you want to face?

Both players have strong PvT so both are difficult to deal with. Still I prefer Oz to Parting. I feel like I will be more sore about losing to Parting. Parting acts like he’s already won the championship and he’ll probably do a ceremony on me too.

You have secured a spot to win a fourth GSL championship before anyone else.

I’ve fallen in ro4 after my third championship before. Even if I don’t win the championship, I hope I get to walk onto the stage of the finals.

This is your first official win wearing the LG-IM uniform.

This is my first appearance in the uniform and my first win. I am so happy that I won. I think things are looking good for me. It’s a good sign.

Anything to add?

First I want to thank our newest sponsor LG electronics. I also want to thank Nvidia, SteelSeries, Coca cola, Googims. I will play even harder to promote these sponsors.
I was able to win because my teammates Anyppi and Ready practised a lot with me before I left for China. I want to thank them both.

Tell us how you feel now that you are in the finals

Honestly, I thought it would be very difficult to get there. Lately, Terrans are fearing Protoss and it was definitely difficult in practice. I’m glad I was able to make it through like this. It’s my first finals in a long time so I am very excited.

With this victory, you are the first person to be in the finals for the fifth time

Rather than this finals being the fifth, the important point is that this is my first finals of this year. I fell behind a lot at the beginning of this year so I’m ecstatic about making the finals of GSL.

You weren’t in great shape after attending so many foreign tournaments either

My condition is always bad so I don’t dwell on it. It’s been like this for over six months. I know I won today but I’m not too happy with how the games were. However, I can’t help it since my health isn’t so great.

Parting was THE Terran Killer

I wasn’t trying to go for some special strategy nor did I practise a ton. I just wanted to play according to the situation. This approach worked out.

Parting’s PvT has been so strong lately. His clutch defence in particular was impressive but you demolished him today.

Before today, Parting just defended against everything and got the composition he needed to win. Today, he went a bit overboard. I’ve been talking to him since ro8 and he said time and time again that he would make the finals as long as he got to ro4. Since then, I expected to win. Overconfidence can be anyone’s downfall.

A lot of fans were cheering you on saying they don’t want a PvP finals

I think a lot of people did cheer me on because a PvP finals isn’t all that interesting. I worked hard because I wanted the finals myself not just because people were cheering me on.

As a finals opponent, Squirtle or Hero?

Both have a style difficult to deal with. We’re not that close but I am acquainted with Squirtle whereas I don’t know Hero at all. Also, I’ve lost to Squirtle in GSTL in the past. If we can have a repeat of that experience, it should be fun.

AX-Korea is a place where you have already experienced a championship. You must have a good feeling.

It’s close to my house too. It will be helpful for me in taking care of my condition. I have great memories of that place so I feel very confident.

You tried cheesing in Set 1

Parting had fewer units than expected. The thought of pulling SCVs came to me and I made sure by scouting that it would work.

You chose a 1-1-1 in Set 2. Was this planned?

Not exactly. However, since I took Set 1, I felt that I would cause a mental breakdown if I won with a 1-1-1 in Set 2. It worked and I was able to play the match out comfortably.

Set 3 was setting up to be a long game but you lost.

I was planning to win even it went to late game. My units got split up which was careless of me. That’s why I lost.

There is no player with 4 GSL championships. You must want this quite badly.

I honestly do. However, I’ve been on a huge decline so rather than focusing on a fourth championship, I will play with the mindset of I will win this one match that’s in front me. I think I will place too much pressure on myself if I keep thinking about the fourth championship and not play at my best.

If I’m honest with you, your performance this season was a little disappointing at times and looked quite unstable. How did you make the finals despite all that?

There’s something I always feel. Winners will win. I think I’m a winner. On some days, things work out and on other days, nothing goes your way regardless of how hard you try. Last season was the latter. This season is a season where everything goes right.

As Kespa enters the Starcraft 2 scene, fans are already hyping up the match between you and Flash.

It will be fun to play against him. However, I’ve seen recent articles about Starcraft 1-Starcraft 2 running in parallel. Frankly, the two games running in parallel is too hard on progamers. I’ve played Starcraft 1 from time to time as a Starcraft 2 gamer and it feels way too different. I regret the fact that Starcraft 1 gamers have to play two games at once. I think the people who decided this were too selfish. They didn’t consider the players at all.

Anything to add?

I want to thank YongHwa, Ready, Seed, and Anyppi for practice. I want to thank MC, San and Oz as well. I want to thank my parents and my older sister who cheer me on from home. My parents were sad because I wasn’t able to get to the finals lately. I am proud to have made the finals this time. I want to thank my coach who always works hard and Nestea lost in Round 2 of Code A yesterday but I have no doubt he will smash his way through UnD. Lastly, I want to say thank you to my girlfriend.

It was your Code S debut match. Your thoughts on moving on to the ro16?

I am so happy. I think my experience at IPL just before GSL helped a lot. Without IPL, I don’t think this result would have been possible.

Let’s talk about IPL for a bit. Are you satisfied with second place?

I am both satisfied and unsatisfied. Since I made the finals, I think I should have won. I regret taking second place. However, taking second place after getting through the open bracket is something I am satisfied about.

You played an amazing number of games. Wasn’t it difficult?

I didn’t count the number of games exactly. I woke up then played and woke up then played. I didn’t feel it in pool play. Starting with the loser’s bracket match against Nestea, I started to feel the fatigue coming on. Still, I think I did pretty well under the conditions.

You won the first match in the finals but lost the second. You had to play two best of 5s.

I was way too tired physically so I was thinking ‘I guess I can play’ but wasn’t too confident. Every match, I drank two cans of Red Bull in an attempt to ward off sleep.

Startale took second place in GSTL. You must have regrets about the situation

Of course, every person on my team must’ve felt so disappointed to even express their feelings. No one would be able to find their calm in a situation like that. However, it’s something that’s in the past so we can only move on. If we meet Prime again, we will win.

Your group today seemed difficult

I thought so too. MMA and Leenock also attended IPL so I played with the thought that we were under the same conditions. Attending IPL gave me a confidence boost. I think that’s the reason for my success today.

You didn’t get to play against Nada. You were once on the same team?

I thought about having to play him but even just practising with me in Starcraft 1 made me happy. I would’ve been very happy to play against him.

In today’s matches, you took down both a GSL champion and a runner-up.

There are still more players to beat. I am confident about my skill but currently it’s not enough. It’s my first priority to try hardest to improve skill-wise.

Which match was the most difficult?

The match against MMA was the most difficult. Losing in Set 1 hit me hard. To be honest, Sets 2 and 3 played out very well for me. Against Leenock, the back and forth on Dual Sight was the only challenging part of the match.

Yesterday, Parting who’s on the same team as you made ro16 first. Was that a stimulus for you?

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. I was cheering for him but at the same time, it did spur me on.

If you were to evaluate Parting’s PvT?

Even I admit that Parting’s PvT is better than mine. However, I have my own style so don’t count me out. I think I am better in the other match ups.

Your goal?

I want to make round of 4. I give myself about 50%.

Any player or race you want to play against in ro16?

Frankly, I prefer Protosses. However, I don’t want my own race to fall off so I want players that are not Protoss.

Anything to add?

I want to thank Hack who helped most with the practice. I want to say thanks to my coach and all the teammates who worked hard at IPL. I want to thank my sponsors: BenQ, Zowie Gear and Red Bull.

What are your thoughts on advancing to ro8?

I think it was easier than expected. Oz is a great player as are the other two players in my group so I thought advancing wouldn’t be easy.

You seem to be on a roll in both ro32 and ro16

My games are turning out well. There is of course luck involved. That’s not to say I haven’t grown as a player.

People must think of you now as a possible champion

When I first got into Code S, my goal was to just win ro32 but now that I’m in ro8, I’m getting a bit greedy. The new goal is to win the championship.

Oz is a great PvPer but you took him out easily.

My head hurt during practice (T/N: from frustration). Oz’s must have hurt even more during the games today. He prepared some never before seen things but my standard builds worked too well.

Weren’t you expecting to meet MC in the winner’s match?

I expected a PvP 90%. After I finished setting up, I watched the first match but Maru was really good. I wanted MC to win though.

In your games against Oz, your immortal+forcefield control was a sight to behold

It wasn’t planned. However, looking at Oz’s situation, his observer seemed to be late and he wasn’t able to scout me for a while. I knew he wouldn’t be able to counter so I opted for that build.

Startale Protsses are on fire lately

Well, it’s hard to say (laugh). Both Parting and I are using the momentum of getting into Code S to get this far. The momentum seems to be major factor.

What about Ace? When will he be able to show what he’s made of?

I can’t say for sure (laugh). He’s a great player but luck’s not on his side.

You are taking on Taeja in ro8. Are you confident?

I am confident this time. Our record at the moment is 0:2 in his favour but I’m a very different player now. I have plenty of confidence.

The bracket could match you up against Parting in the finals

Is there about 30% chance of that happening? He and I could both drop at some point. The fans probably don’t want a PvP finals anyway.

Anything to add?

I want to thank the players who helped with practice: Tiger, Ace, Naniwa and Sound. I want to thank our sponsors BenQ, Red Bull, Zowie Gear, Zowie.

What are your thoughts on your first time in ro4?

I didn’t even think this possible at the start of the season. It’s like I’m dreaming.

You had a 3:0 victory today. Were you confident?

I was a little nervous since I had a 50% win rate in practice. The thought of possible defeat kept me on my toes.

Were you more relaxed after your victory in Set 1?

Yes. My opponent played as I expected him to.

How on earth do you deal with the Squirtle timing.

It’s rare to see Terran not pressure even once. I go for such a timing. It’s better if they just stay in their base.

Your prowess in army engagements was impressive in Set 2.

It’s disadvantageous if the Terran defends at the natural. That’s how the map is built. I knew there was a high chance of breaking through if I caught the Terran in that position.

Set 3 boiled down to an elimination race.

My build was thrown off. I wanted to hide my robotics facility and do an immortal all in but the reaper ruined it. I think Taeja was a bit bewildered too.

You gave away a free colossus. Wasn’t that a Colossal mistake?

It was. It was a lapse in concentration. I was worried about a possible medivac drop at 7 o’clock so I spammed move command leading to the colossus straying away.

Your forcefield play at 7 o’clock was amazing.

If I didn’t hold there, I would have lost. And as we both attacked out mains, if Taeja had taken out all my observers, I also would have lost.

Do you feel like people’s evaluation of you has definitely changed this season?

Always Code A? A player who used to be Code A calibre at best doing so well has elicited a favourable response from the fans. People are jokingly accusing me of taking a performance enhancing drug and asking whether the drug came from Genius (laugh).

What’s the secret to your explosion in skill?

During practice, I honestly felt that I was good enough to be in Code S. However, I lost confidence after losing in broadcasted matches. This season, I regained my confidence in GSTL and with the second place at IPL4. Afterwards, the games are turning out well.

Your ro4 opponent is Hero. Isn’t your PvP formidable?

To be honest, I don’t see it as a walk over. I think such an attitude is offensive to Hero. Still, I don’t think I’ll lose. I’ve always though highly of Hero so this is a great opportunity to take him on.

You are in a position to teamkill Parting possibly.

Since Parting is on fire lately, he will make the finals. IMMVP is good too but Parting’s unstoppable. Parting and I will probably make the finals. If it does come to that, I will win as it’s a PvP. We don’t practice against each other lately but back when we did, I won more than him.

A PvP in ro4 hasn’t happened for a long time. Protoss really is strong lately.

I don’t think Protoss is favoured in PvZ. I also think the better player wins in PvT. Didn’t Hero say so as well? I happen to agree. Also, I think Protoss players in general have gotten better.

Anything to add?

I want to thank the sponsors: BenQ, Zowie Gear and Red Bull. There’s been a cold breakout at the training house so everyone’s having a hard time, so I want to say thanks to : Hack, Sound and especially Bomber who helped until 4 am this morning. I also want to thank Ace, Tiger and Coach Kim for their advice.

You have the joy of being in the finals of your first Code S

When I first started playing in Code S, ro16 was the goal but somehow, I’ve reached the finals. It’s like a dream.

Unlike in GSTL, your performance in GSL was underwhelming. This finals must mean a lot to you

People always told me that I was good in GSTL but I would keep losing in GSL. I was even starting to develop some kind of phobia for GSL. I have been practising consistently so it must be my efforts bearing fruit.

You have been a progamer for a long time as well. This finals must be making you quite emotional

Every player aims to stand on the stage of the finals. I did feel like this goal was getting away from me as I kept on losing. However, I was able to come this far precisely because I never gave up. Not giving up is the key.

In the booth after the match, you seemed to be deep in your emotions

I’ve never thought that I would step on the finals stage. To be in the finals of this season, I was overcome with emotion. It’s like a dream come true. Many thoughts came to me.

One final test remains. You took a close second place at IPL 4. Don’t you want to change that this time?

I felt firsthand how much you can regret coming second place after losing to aLive at IPL 4. This time, I will work my hardest to win.

Hero was looking quite strong too. Were you expecting to win 3:0?

I thought I would win 3:0 if I took Set 1. If I had lost Set 1, it would’ve been a much more difficult match.

What is the secret to your strong PvP? You haven’t lost a single series of PvP

I actually wanted to maintain that 100% win rate. I couldn’t ignore it once people kept mentioning it to me. I receive help in PvP from Ace, Naniwa, Sase, Tiger, etc. They have helped me so much. We’ve discussed PvP quite a lot.

Your opponent in the finals is MVP. A match against Parting didn’t come to fruition.

I really wanted Parting to advance but facing a player from another team is easier. Since it’s MVP, I think I’ll feel more at ease than I would with a teamkill.

MVP took down Parting, the Terran Killer. What were your thoughts?

It reminded me that MVP is a three time champion and that he’s on another level. His planning for a long series was exceptional. However, I have a lot of experience as well and I can plan out a series quite well too. There is plenty of chance for me to win.

To take on MVP who has such a wealth of experience, you must have to prepare yourself outside of the game as well.

If I were alone in having to prepare, I would have been worried because of my inexperience. However, I have faith in my team’s Protosses. If we all come together to practise, I can win.

Startale has Bomber. He should be a great help in preparing for the finals.

In fact, the player I’ve talked to the most. We share the same room and we talk about the game a lot. I expect a lot of help from him with the finals as well.

Shouldn’t you change your ID to Blastoise once you win?

If I win, I’m thinking about changing it to Blastoise. Since I haven’t won the championship yet, it’s Wartortle.

Your parents must have high expectations about the finals

My parents always advise me to stay calm before a match. I’ve kept them waiting for too long since Starcraft 1. Now that I have made the finals, I can relax about that a little. I really want to take the championship as my parents watch on.

You’ve mentioned that you want to make a Mothership in the finals

Fans are still talking about that match, it seems. I want an even greater match than that. I will provide a PvT worthy of the finals. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll have enough room for a mothership in a finals against MVP but I hope people think of it as me showing my confidence.

Anything to add?

I want to thank my sponsors: Zowie Gear, Red Bull and BenQ. I got a lot of help from Naniwa in preparing for my match against Taeja and now he’s angry at me because I forgot to mention him in the winner’s interview. I want to take this opportunity to thank him. Also Sase who helped a lot with today’s match. Tiger played around 200 games with me to help me practise. Ace helped me until early morning as well so I am very grateful.