The stage is set with Jaedong catching the eye first. Jaedong stands the most confidently poised, emanating a tense air of competitiveness. Sharp on the other hand has a relaxed demeanor, speaking with politeness and modesty. He stands out with his silver colored pants among the trend of dark jeans. Across to the right, you can feel the anticipation in Mini as a rookie who's barely gotten a taste of the big stage of competition. In a second chance since last season, the opportunity to change his fate for redemption is at his fingertips. HiyA, the whimsical streamer feels the most surreal sitting alongside the big names of the scene only shortly after playing again.

Beginning with Sharp, he remarks the cumbersome playstyle of Mini, nicknamed the Pervert Protoss. He glows softly with confidence, commenting about his adequate practice, self assured he should advance.

Next is Mini, who as a newcomer was surprised to be eliminated as soon as the Ro24 last season. For tonight, in eagerness, he's practiced diligently to avoid another repeat. Whether the viewers will get to witness his unorthodox play will strangely depend on how warmed up his hands are. Not focused on necessarily winning or losing, he only hopes to progress to the final match.

The interview shifts to Jaedong setting a new tone. With a simple greeting alone, he draws forth the excited applause and cheers of several fans in the crowd. The name of Jaedong holds a great weight as expectations are set high for him in the electric air tonight. Brushing off his Ro16 loss in the previous season, he states first of all, his goal is to become the champion.

Hiya on the opposite end makes strong statements about Jaedong's fading skill: "he was a better player in the older days, but not in the modern days". A spark of confidence is displayed with Hiya's fighting words that beating Jaedong is doable. Ending in an ominous note of discouragement however, he remarks that he met Jaedong by chance in the morning on ladder. Afterwards, Hiya simply says that he lost a lot of confidence without going into any further detail.

Mini vs. Sharp:
On the map, Gold Rush, Sharp spawns at 9 o'clock and Protoss Pervert Mini spawns at 5 o'clock. Mini opens 1 g cyber core expand into reaver drop. Sharp opens a defensive FD, making only 4 instead of an aggressive 6 marines. A brief and intense skirmish results in the loss of 2 marines and a badly damaged Dragoon. Soon after, Sharp in preparation for the shuttle has already gone for an early wraith. The reaver harass is mitigated as Mini expands to the far semi-island base.

After a transient calm and the hands of Mini warmed up, he moves two shuttles alarmingly above Sharp's natural base before retreating. Sharp not to take a backseat returns the favor with his own dropship to Mini's semi-island base which is fended off.


Suddenly, Mini moves in through Sharp's mineral-only third in a daring beeline to Sharp's main. Dropping two reavers amidst a swarm of SCV's, Sharp pulls workers while losing a small handful. Meanwhile, Mini takes a gradual lead macroing off of the back of his successful aggression.

A second double drop is less successful with reavers dying to mines and Shuttles unable to exit, stopped by turrets. However, Mini still possesses the lead, but the gap closes as Sharp becomes maxed.

Finally, the dreaded terran push commences. Mini having the far greater bank in the suspenseful buildup must take efficient engagements. A mediocre engagement in the middle of the map leaves Sharp having middle map control, taking out Mini's center base expansion.


Trying to push back, a failed recall followed by charges of protoss units into Terran's siege line leaves Mini alive but at a disadvantage.


Mini in a second stroke of offense shuts down a center base to the bottom left and later does a recall that falls flat. Mini's cutoff 12 o'clock base is laid to waste by Terran as Mini's options run out. In a final charge of desperation to the top right mineral-only base, the last of Mini's army evaporates. Defeat is an inevitability as Mini's forces lay scattered and his bases in ruins.

Jaedong vs. Hiya:
The Tyrant, Jaedong spawns in the bottom right of Gold Rush and Hiya, the magikarp spawns at 9 o'clock. Jaedong opens 3 hatch mutalisk, making his 3rd hatchery in the semi-island base adjacent to Hiya's main. Hiya opens an aggressive 1 rax FE into 2 rax academy

Tensions already run high in a race for the third. Hiya begins firing on his main base eggs as Jaedong urgently works to claw down the eggs between his natural and third.


Hiya now cracking the final egg to Jaedong's third unknowingly hatches Jaedong's next move. Jaedong makes a calculated Zergling backstab at Hiya's main while sunkens morph at his third. Hiya hurriedly moves his far-out-of-position marines to his natural. In another aggressive move to Jaedong's natural, he's greeted by another line of sunkens and mutas already hatched and ready for the prowl.


The flock of death, Jaedong's mutalisks carefully pick off Hiya's marine force. Keeping Hiya in his base, he buys time for lurkers that appear in time for Hiya's marine force just entering his 3rd. Hiya then kills an assimilator to cut off access to his main. Meanwhile, Jaedong's mutalisks pick off an engineering bay before Hiya's critical first upgrade finishes.


Hiya on the counter offensive does a double drop that partially unloads before both are scourged. The remaining marines are cleaned up by a mutalisk and lurker force. Hiya's second double drop manages to shut down Jaedong's 4th base at the 3 o'clock.

After a mostly uneventful midgame comes the climax. From the depths of Hiya's base launches the next attack that will force Jaedong to make the game deciding move.


And in spectacular fashion, Jaedong predicts and completely shuts down the quadruple drop before it even has a chance to take off.


Jaedong's counter drop lays waste to all of Hiya's supply depots.


Jaedong attacks Hiya's mineral only 3rd once again, drops the main base, and the destruction of plagued vessels grabs Jaedong the win in utter domination.

Jaedong vs. Sharp:
Jaedong spawns on the left on Crossing Field and Sharp on the right. The early game antics are aplenty with Sharp going 8 rax, planning to intercept the scouting overlord. Luckily, Jaedong's game senses are tingling, sending out an early drone that scouts the 8 rax.

Next, Sharp's first 4 marines manage to make their way behind Jaedong's natural as Sharp techs to a quick factory and starport. A two vulture runby is promptly stopped by Jaedong with a drone drill.

Jaedong counterattacks with a quick overlord speed and hydraling attack. The attack is barely held off by Sharp with spider mines, a siege tank, and a timely bunker. Jaedong's fake muta followup forces turrets out of Sharp when in fact Jaedong is going for a fast Queen's Nest.

Meanwhile, Sharp transitions into bio, pushing out. Sharp's push kills Jaedong's just finished fourth, but is eventually cleaned up by Jaedong's army. Sharp transitions again into mech, rising to double Jaedong's supply as a drop delays Jaedong further.


A surprise muta transition evens the supply count as Jaedong picks off goliaths as they're in small numbers. Then, Jaedong rallying the remainder of his forces attacks the top right base of Terran. Unfortunately, the attack pales in the face of the siege tank line. From there, Jaedong plays from far behind. Eventually, Sharp's next big push spells Jaedong's doom.

Mini vs. Hiya:
Mini spawns on the right and Hiya is at the left. Immediately, the protoss works his way closely with a proxy gate. The zealot aggression does impressive damage killing off several SCV due to the mediocre control of Hiya.


Next, Hiya makes a vulture attempting to kill Mini's probes, even making a supply depot at the ramp to block off Mini's ramp wall. However, Mini adds enough pylons to finish the wall while his two dragoons attack Hiya with a late tank. Eventually, he is pushed back. Hiya's next siege tank pushout is delayed by Mini's backstab, going all the way to Hiya's backdoor expansion.

Meanwhile, Mini's reaver is en route to Hiya's main base. Skirting along the very left of Hiya's base, Mini avoids any turrets, killing off a few tanks and workers. Already Mini is double Hiya's supply.


Mini going for the death blow drops his two shuttles filled with two reavers and four zealots, backed up by a control group of dragoons. Hiya's four sieged tank defense is laid to waste as Mini claims a swift victory. Finally, Mini bursts open the doors to the long awaited final match he's been waiting for.

Jaedong vs. Mini:
On Fighting Spirit, Jaedong spawns in the top right and Mini the Pervert Protoss spawns in the bottom right. Mini scouts Jaedong first and takes the opportunity to block the hatchery. Jaedong takes the opportunity to make six lings while Mini's probe runs away to survive.


Undetected by Mini, Jaedong's first six lings arrive at Mini's natural just as the cannon warps in. Certain death has befallen Mini in the most anticlimactic game decided in the first 3 minutes. The game is truly sad for Mini as Jaedong's advantages compound.


In an early mutaling bust of the natural, Jaedong gains a significant advantage. Not even waiting to raze the natural, Jaedong goes into the main base destroying Mini's last line of defense. Mini relents however, staying in the game with less than a control group of probes while Jaedong has three times his supply. The hydras enter to finish the deal as Mini finally accepts his defeat.

Sharp and Jaedong advanced to the Ro16!