Code A: Ro24 Final Day Recap
By: Fionn
Results from Live Report Thread by Probe1.
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
MMA vs viOLet
MMA<Crux Whirlwind>viOLet
MMA<Antiga Shipyard>viOLet
MMA <Crux Daybreak>viOLet
MMA wins 2-1!
Curious vs Creator
Curious<ESV ClouD Kingdom>Creator
Curious<ESV Ohana RE>Creator
Curious<Entombed Valley>Creator
Curious wins 2-0!
YoDa vs SuperNova
YoDa<ESV Ohana RE>SuperNoVa
YoDa<Crux Atlantis Spaceship>SuperNoVa
YoDa<Entombed Valley>SuperNoVa
YoDa wins 2-0!
Polt vs Shine
Polt<Entombed Valley>Shine
Polt<Antiga Shipyard>Shine
Polt<Crux Whirlwind>Shine
Polt wins 2-1!
MMA<Crux Whirlwind>viOLet
MMA<Antiga Shipyard>viOLet
MMA <Crux Daybreak>viOLet
MMA wins 2-1!
Curious vs Creator
Curious<ESV ClouD Kingdom>Creator
Curious<ESV Ohana RE>Creator
Curious wins 2-0!
YoDa vs SuperNova
YoDa<ESV Ohana RE>SuperNoVa
YoDa<Crux Atlantis Spaceship>SuperNoVa
YoDa wins 2-0!
Polt vs Shine
Polt<Entombed Valley>Shine
Polt<Antiga Shipyard>Shine
Polt<Crux Whirlwind>Shine
Polt wins 2-1!
Super Comeback
– A year after the Super Tournament, finalists Polt and MMA confirm their return to Code S
Ever since their fated finals last year, TSL_Polt and SlayerS_MMA have continued their strange relationship. If 2011 was a year where Polt was frequently MMA's Achilles heel, 2012 was a year where they shared similar fates.
While Polt and MMA still won Assembly and Iron Squid respectively this year, neither Terran has replicated the GSL success they enjoyed in 2011, when they were both crowned champions and considered to be among the best Terrans in the world. After poor performances in Code S, both ex-champions suffered the shame of falling to Code A. Now, after starting at the edge of Code B, both players have fought through three grueling series to get back to Code S, resembling their former selves that were mainstays in the premier division of the GSL.
TSL_Shine and viOLet were both tough opponents, but their Terran opponents were able to hang on and secure their Code S spots by scores of 2 - 1. Up next for MMA will be his comeback in the GSTL, playing as the starter against Gumiho for his team in the GSTL Finals. For Polt, after qualifying for Battle.net WCS Korea with a 2 - 1 over his teammate Hyun, he will try to continue his good form and qualify for the Global Finals in Shanghai.
With the two GSL champions back in Code S, the fourth season of GSL is shaping up to have an all-star line-up. Excluding the retired FruitDealer, six of the seven still-active GSL champions (seven of eight if Seed wins this weekend) have already booked their ticket to next season's Code S tournament. The only champion left is Jjakji who will be braving the Up-and-Downs to try and make the fourth season a clash of champions.
The Legacy of the Hype
– Without dropping a single map in the entire Code A tournament, Yoda makes his debut in Code S with expectations starting to rise
When your team has countless championships and another one in the making in the finals of Code S, then you really have to do be something special for LG-IM_Mvp to come out and call you the best player on the team in an interview. That's exactly what happened with LG-IM's YoDa, and by now you should know the hype train is just around the corner. Even with such a weight proclamation on his shoulders, YoDa showed no signs of wavering as he vanquished the most consistent Terran in GSL history by taking down SuperNoVa in a 2-0 scoreline.
Both games were short with Yoda first outright defeating SuperNoVa with an early attack, followed with his own successful defense of such an attack from SuperNoVa. Even if the games weren't that long and didn't give us the best insight on how good Yoda really is, you have to be impressed by his play. He took down a player of every race (July, Oz, and Supernova) without losing a single game and advanced to his first Code S season without breaking a sweat.
While we had Parting, Squirtle and then Symbol so far this year as our royal road hopefuls, Yoda could be our first Terran royal road candidate in a long time. While we still have Life, Shine, and Hyun, three strong Zergs who might want to throw their hat in the ring for the prestige of being next season's rookie-we-hype-up-to-walk-the-royal-road-then-mercilessly-abandon, Yoda is the only one who got through without the Up-and-Downs.
As a new player in Code S, he surely will be tested and picked on by the strongest the league has to offer, but going by his performances against Oz and Supernova, he might be a player who could get very far next season.
Consistent Curious
– Curious beats Creator 2-0 and remains in Code S for the fifth straight season.
Like always with Curious, there wasn't too much to talk about. He just played great as usual. Creator, one of the best Protosses in the world, couldn't find his footing against the more experienced player and got run over. Still, even if Curious looks like a monster in Code A, it doesn't matter if he can't get far in Code S. This is a player that won Code A when Code A was still an actual tournament, without losing a single game. Every season, he does amazing in Code A or Up/Downs, qualifies, and then doesn't do his best in Code S when the real money is on the line.
Hopefully the fifth time is the charm for Curious, as he will try to finally break through the Ro16 barrier and make it into Code S for the sixth straight season without having to go through Code A. Through his online results and Code A performances, no one would be surprised if he got to a quarterfinals or higher next season, but only time will tell if he'll finally be able to make the leap in Code S.
Bañe-ata by shiroiusagi.
Writer: Fionn
Graphics and Art: Meko
Editor: Waxangel