[GSTL] 2012 Season One - Progress Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by Pathy

Table of Contents











Progress

By: Waxangel







Opening Week

By:Waxangel







The Teams

By: confusedcrib







The New Maps

By: iamke55







Check out the GSTL on







By: WaxangelBy:WaxangelBy: confusedcribBy: iamke55Check out the GSTL on Liquipedia Progress by Waxangel

As I see the proliferation of team leagues around us, I can't help but think that history does indeed repeat itself.



Brood War built itself upon a foundation of individual stars, but it reached its peak with its famous crowds in the hundreds of thousands when it moved to team centered competition. Over the last decade, we have seen esports crowds not only reach immeasurable sizes, but endure and sustain. This is no flash in the pan. The sustainability of team leagues comes from the grandeur of it all. The spectacle. They put the sport in esports. A healthy team league gives rise to fierce competition among the players and undying loyalty in the fans. When a series is tied at 2 - 2, and two brave souls enter the booths, tensions reach dizzying heights. With each keystroke, they hold the fate of their team; with each mouse click, the fortune of the fans.



The first season of the 2012 GSTL is about to kick off.



To get us started, we've got an extensive



Strap in and get ready. You're on the ground floor of esports history. As I see the proliferation of team leagues around us, I can't help but think that history does indeed repeat itself.Brood War built itself upon a foundation of individual stars, but it reached its peak with its famous crowds in the hundreds of thousands when it moved to team centered competition. Over the last decade, we have seen esports crowds not only reach immeasurable sizes, but endure and sustain. This is no flash in the pan. The sustainability of team leagues comes from the grandeur of it all. The spectacle. They put the sport in esports. A healthy team league gives rise to fierce competition among the players and undying loyalty in the fans. When a series is tied at 2 - 2, and two brave souls enter the booths, tensions reach dizzying heights. With each keystroke, they hold the fate of their team; with each mouse click, the fortune of the fans.The first season of the 2012 GSTL is about to kick off.To get us started, we've got an extensive overview of the roster of teams , an in-depth look at the new maps and a preview of the upcoming games.Strap in and get ready. You're on the ground floor of esports history. Opening Week by WaxAngel



FXOpen SlayerS vs



The GSTL opens with a highly anticipated match between last season's... last place finishers. Though FXO was picked by most to be just a mid-tier team in the last GSTL, SlayerS disappointed everyone who had seen them win GSTL3 by going from champs to chumps in the span of an off-season. Despite their poor previous performances, both teams have grown stronger since the last GSTL and are strong contenders to win it all.



With Coca still on probation, SlayerS remains a heavily Terran reliant team, presenting some interesting advantages and disadvantages against FXO. FXO's ace Terran player Gumiho is rather poor at his mirror match-up, and he'll have a tough time against SlayerS' many Code S class Terran players. If SlayerS can nullify Gumiho by preventing him from playing, or forcing him to play a TvT, then they will have a big advantage. On the other hand, Leenock is a Terran killer supreme, leaving SlayerS with only a few cards to play against him. It's really up to Puzzle to do his job and take advantage of Leenock's weak ZvP, or else Leenock will just plough through everyone and force MMA into action.



The proceedings could easily be complicated by any number of non-ace players on either side. Lucky (spanked the entire SlayerS Terran roster at IPL3), Oz (looks like a PvT MASTER at times), Ganzi (Code S semi-finalist), Clide (all-kill vs MVP) and Taeja (all-kill vs ZeNEX) are all players who can go on incredible runs.



Also, this being the all-kill format, the performance of ace players is hugely important – and both teams have ridiculous ace cards to play. If we posit that MMA is as good, if not better than DongRaeGu, then it means he should stop being just a luxury closer for SlayerS and evolve into a guy who wipes other teams single-handedly. From what we've seen from Leenock, he should be on that level as well. These two have the power to make the GSTL cease to be a team competition and an individual one instead, but will they use it?



Prediction: Slayer 5 – 4 FXO







ZeNEX Old Generations vs



ZeNEX is a team that's visibly falling apart – or at least that's how it looks from the outside. In fact, we want to give them enormous credit for simply existing and making this ten team GSTL possible after losing so many key players. It's hard to even tell who their best player is now. We thought Line (aka Suhosin) was pretty good after his Super Tournament run, but he hasn't been seen in the GSL in a long time. Kyrix was in Code S for quite a while, but everyone could see he was on his way out with the new, tougher format. Life has done alright in online tournaments, but we've never seen him play in the GomTV studio before. I'm not going to completely write them off yet, however. Since we haven't seen much of them, there's still the tiny, off-chance that they are actually really good, and are ready to shock the world. I'll cling to that small possibility to keep me interested during this match.



oGs has also dropped a few key players as well, but somehow they're actually better than they were last season. HerO and Zenio switched to oGs's partner team in Liquid, and are thus still available to play. Though MC left the team in January, he actually contributed little to nothing to oGs during the last GSTL which was played during his slump. On top of that, HerO and TheStC have grown as players while ForGG is looking like a solid acquisition.



Obviously, oGs would rather have kept the revitalized MC, and having him right now would make them a stronger team. But if you strictly compare the rosters from the 2011 GSTL and 2012 GSTL at their skill levels at the time, you have to give the 2012 oGs team the upper hand.



In any case, oGs is at worst a mid-low tier team, which is still far better off than ZeNEX, a miracle of modern eSports medicine. ZeNEX could put up a decent fight, but don't expect them to win.



Prediction: oGs 5 – 3 ZeNEX

The GSTL opens with a highly anticipated match between last season's... last place finishers. Though FXO was picked by most to be just a mid-tier team in the last GSTL, SlayerS disappointed everyone who had seen them win GSTL3 by going from champs to chumps in the span of an off-season. Despite their poor previous performances, both teams have grown stronger since the last GSTL and are strong contenders to win it all.With Coca still on probation, SlayerS remains a heavily Terran reliant team, presenting some interesting advantages and disadvantages against FXO. FXO's ace Terran player Gumiho is rather poor at his mirror match-up, and he'll have a tough time against SlayerS' many Code S class Terran players. If SlayerS can nullify Gumiho by preventing him from playing, or forcing him to play a TvT, then they will have a big advantage. On the other hand, Leenock is a Terran killer supreme, leaving SlayerS with only a few cards to play against him. It's really up to Puzzle to do his job and take advantage of Leenock's weak ZvP, or else Leenock will just plough through everyone and force MMA into action.The proceedings could easily be complicated by any number of non-ace players on either side. Lucky (spanked the entire SlayerS Terran roster at IPL3), Oz (looks like a PvT MASTER at times), Ganzi (Code S semi-finalist), Clide (all-kill vs MVP) and Taeja (all-kill vs ZeNEX) are all players who can go on incredible runs.Also, this being the all-kill format, the performance of ace players is hugely important – and both teams have ridiculous ace cards to play. If we posit that MMA is as good, if not better than DongRaeGu, then it means he should stop being just a luxury closer for SlayerS and evolve into a guy who wipes other teams single-handedly. From what we've seen from Leenock, he should be on that level as well. These two have the power to make the GSTL cease to be a team competition and an individual one instead, but will they use it?Slayer 5 – 4 FXOZeNEX is a team that's visibly falling apart – or at least that's how it looks from the outside. In fact, we want to give them enormous credit for simply existing and making this ten team GSTL possible after losing so many key players. It's hard to even tell who their best player is now. We thought Line (aka Suhosin) was pretty good after his Super Tournament run, but he hasn't been seen in the GSL in a long time. Kyrix was in Code S for quite a while, but everyone could see he was on his way out with the new, tougher format. Life has done alright in online tournaments, but we've never seen him play in the GomTV studio before. I'm not going to completely write them off yet, however. Since we haven't seen much of them, there's still the tiny, off-chance that they are actually really good, and are ready to shock the world. I'll cling to that small possibility to keep me interested during this match.oGs has also dropped a few key players as well, but somehow they're actually better than they were last season. HerO and Zenio switched to oGs's partner team in Liquid, and are thus still available to play. Though MC left the team in January, he actually contributed little to nothing to oGs during the last GSTL which was played during his slump. On top of that, HerO and TheStC have grown as players while ForGG is looking like a solid acquisition.Obviously, oGs would rather have kept the revitalized MC, and having him right now would make them a stronger team. But if you strictly compare the rosters from the 2011 GSTL and 2012 GSTL at their skill levels at the time, you have to give the 2012 oGs team the upper hand.In any case, oGs is at worst a mid-low tier team, which is still far better off than ZeNEX, a miracle of modern eSports medicine. ZeNEX could put up a decent fight, but don't expect them to win.oGs 5 – 3 ZeNEX

The Teams by confusedcrib FXOpen E-Sports FXO goes into this season’s team league hoping to make a bigger splash than last year. Last season the then separate teams fOu and FXO were fourth and sixth place respectively, failing to make much impact on the league. fOu has continued to improve and their merger with FXO seems to have greatly boosted the teams morale, presumably by being able to focus more on playing and less on finances. Their heavy hitters continue to be GuMiho and Leenock, with Oz, asd, and Lucky as strong options as well. Last season GuMiho was fOu's focus while the then less popular Leenock only played a single game. The oft maligned TheBest won a clutch three game series against ZeNEX, but he’s a player that remains very difficult to predict.



The biggest alteration to the roster comes in the form of losing a great Terran in sC. Without him, FXO’s roster looks significantly less impressive; however Oz picked up his game significantly in the meanwhile, and he might be a suitable replacement. On a side note, it will be interesting to see if asd’s play has held up, as he looked to be an up and coming Terran last year despite his failure to break through in the GSL.



Overall FXO has a lot of reasons to be confident going into the team league this year. With one of the world’s best Zerg players, a strong Protoss, and two strong Terrans, they have a well-balanced line-up that can give any team a run for their money. SlayerS SlayerS will be going up against FXO in the first match of the tournament, and are favorites not only for that match but for the entire tournament. Despite a terrible performance in last season’s GSTL, only beating the foreign team F.United, SlayerS is still fondly remembered for their heartstring pulling victories from when they were the plucky underdogs.



Similarly to Leenock, MMA is a player who has gone from a strong teammate to a tournament winning monster. The channce of seeing a Leenock vs MMA match is enough reason to watch day one of the tournament. Since last season, SlayerS has been very busy intelligently acquiring new players, picking up Clide, Puzzle, and CoCa. Assuming the latter is allowed to play this season, it looks as though SlayerS will have a much more balanced team this time around.



A large part of SlayerS' downfall last season was due to their predictability; they played Terran 14 out of 16 games. With their new roster of players one hopes SlayerS has become a new beast, offering a strong, diverse line-up of players.



P.S. Despite not being listed on the SlayerS team page, E.G. is listed on GOM’s team page. Perhaps they could work something out to give Idra, Huk, JYP, and Puma a chance to play. One can hope. ZeNEX Poor ZeNEX. Of all the teams competing in this year’s tournament, I believe that ZeNex is going to have the hardest time making an impact. As if their line-up wasn't already thinly populated, in between seasons they lost both Puzzle and CoCa to SlayerS, Hack to Startale, and Byun to Prime, leaving only four GSL qualified players behind. Line was a player who showed some promise last season, and as the team captain seems to be the best hope of a strong ZeNEX performance. Kyrix is a player who is very inconsistent as is Jjun, so they are really running on fumes as they hope to make some miracles happen.



ZeNEX does have a large line up of Code B players this season, and I’m sure that they are itching for the chance to prove themselves. Who knows, maybe one of them and can make a name for himself this season. oGs-TL oGs is a team that has historically under-performed in the team league. TheSTC continues to be one of their strongest players – despite his under the radar personality – and will without a doubt have to be a major contributor this season. Despite losing a strong player in MC, oGs gained a strong player in fOrGG (or oGsFin).



They got the sour end of the MC – SK gaming deal when it comes to the team league. MC was in the midst of his half year slump during the last team league, and just as he is coming out of it he won’t be competing under the oGs name.



An often unnoticed part of oGs’ roster is Teamliquid’s role. Last year Huk proved to be a star at the right times, coming out last against Prime and sealing one of oGs’ two wins. TL will be a factor again – even if only because previous oGs regulars Zenio and HerO have changed their shirts.



Overall, despite losing MC, oGs’ lineup seems stronger than last year's with a formidable potential lineup in TheSTC, fOrGG, HerO, Zenio, and even more talented yet less well known players deeper in their roster. Another big question is about the role NaDa will play, as he got some solid victories last season. If he can do it again, it would provide the team with an unexpected boost. Expect a stronger showing than history, or current trends may suggest. New Star HoSeo NS HoSeo proved to be one of the most confusing teams of last year’s team league; not because I had to constantly decide on whether to call them New Star HoSeo, HoSeo, or NSHS, but because of a first-place group finish seemingly out of nowhere. While Jjakji has since cemented himself as a GSL champion, the other players remain relatively shrouded and unpredictable. Sage will continue to be a wildcard – unable to come up big since Code A October where he made it to the Round of 4 against Oz.



In comparison to last year I would put HoSeo in a similar, yet slightly improved position. Their players have earned more recognition than they had going into the last season, and I would expect more strong results from them. However, no one but Jjakji has shown enough for me to say that last season wasn't a bit lucky. StarTale-Quantic Startale is a team with a fearsome and deep lineup that makes them very difficult to prepare for. Last season they really only had to use Bomber, Curious, and Squirtle to swipe second in their group, and their roster has continued to grow stronger since then. They have a powerful line-up of GSL Code-S players, stretching from Curious to Bomber to PartinG, and have other strong players like July.



Last season, Startale largely relied on Curious and Bomber, and while it looks as though Curious remains one of the strongest players, Bomber has recently been slipping. Fan favorite Squirtle will continue will probably be a regular once more, and I’d expect to see Sound play a large role after his second place finish at HomeStory Cup.



On top of that already large lineup of players, it will be interesting to see the role of recent acquisition Hack. Hack has shown that he can have in impact in the GSTL, delivering an all kill against FXO last season, so we’ll see how he will fare do this time around. Overall I'd say that StarTale is still in a good place, but the field has grown stronger since last season.



As for Quantic? I don't think they'll be playing too big a role just yet. Naniwa and Sase are good players, but it's unclear whether they will be favored over Ace or Squirtle. Maybe by the end of the season we might see the two Swede's pull off a big win, but don't expect much early on. Team SCV Life



You will, however, notice a common thread amongst those players: Revival is the only one left as everyone else has departed from the team. Since their strong performance last season, TSL’s total player roster has dropped to only 9, the lowest of any competing team. Beyond Polt and Revival, there isn’t much hope for their team to make an impact this season. The exception could be recent Code A qualifier HyuN, but as of now we have seen too little to tell. TSL is going to have a very hard time winning this season, and they will have to rely their unknowns such as Shine – who have performed well in non-GSL Korean tournaments – to put up some results in the GomTV Studio.



Some fans TSL is a team that has recently been the center of quite a bit of E-sports drama. Last season though, they went undefeated in their group, taking out numerous challengers with ease. PuMa, Clide, and Revival all defeated three opponents to win their match, with F.United being the only team forcing them to use more than two players until the playoffs. JYP even proved to be clutch in the playoffs, taking three wins for himself before the team eventually lost.You will, however, notice a common thread amongst those players: Revival is the only one left as everyone else has departed from the team. Since their strong performance last season, TSL’s total player roster has dropped to only 9, the lowest of any competing team. Beyond Polt and Revival, there isn’t much hope for their team to make an impact this season. The exception could be recent Code A qualifier HyuN, but as of now we have seen too little to tell. TSL is going to have a very hard time winning this season, and they will have to rely their unknowns such as Shine – who have performed well in non-GSL Korean tournaments – to put up some results in the GomTV Studio.Some fans remain hopeful , however. Incredible Miracle Last season IM demonstrated an incredible reluctance to play their star players Mvp and Nestea, using Mvp only twice, and Nestea once. The big question this season is if they’ll be more willing to play their two champion players. IM’s team roster remained largely the same, holding onto Losira, Happy, and YongHwa who all performed very well in the team league format. With only three players on their roster in Code B, I’d expect great things of IM this season, regardless of whether they play Nestea and Mvp or not. It also helps that the team has had little roster change, so they should have a good idea of everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Prime



Prime is lucky in that they have managed to retain their roster since last season’s team league. On paper Prime isn’t the strongest team out there, only having MarineKing as a "star" player. But they seem to have some higher power watching over them, as they squeezed out miraculous win after win on their way to the finals. I'm going out a limb and saying that they won't perform as well as last year, but Creator and BboongBboong proved to be seriously skilled, so their performances are anyone's guess.



If you want more on Prime, Despite barely squeaking through to the playoffs last season, Prime turned it on once they got there, proving their worth as a team. Creator and BboongBboong asserted themselves all season long, taking out multiple opponents, and are a large part of why Prime could even get to the seeded position they now find themselves in.Prime is lucky in that they have managed to retain their roster since last season’s team league. On paper Prime isn’t the strongest team out there, only having MarineKing as a "star" player. But they seem to have some higher power watching over them, as they squeezed out miraculous win after win on their way to the finals. I'm going out a limb and saying that they won't perform as well as last year, but Creator and BboongBboong proved to be seriously skilled, so their performances are anyone's guess.If you want more on Prime, check this out MVP Team-DRG managed to win last year’s tournament, and DRG didn't even need to play in the finals. I have no idea what fuels DongRaeGu to absolutely destroy the team league, but he does it week in and week out.



MVP's performance last year was initially unexpected, but by the end, there seemed little doubt that they would take the tournament. MVP was already formidable as a one man team, but then Genius, Tails, Noblesse and Keen came up strong in the playoffs. Genius's recent good form suggests that he might be more consistent in the GSTL this season, and DRG would welcome a Protoss partner in crime. There is even more bad news for their rivals, as MVP has only gotten stronger with their acquisition of sC, and the resurgence of Genius in the GSL.



MVP’s performance last season was fueled primarily by the play of DongRaeGu. If the rest of team can play anywhere near as well as they did in the post-season, then they will book a trip to the finals.

The New Maps by iamke55 Metropolis





No, it’s not that Blizzard map from the ladder. Metropolis, a creation of GSL’s LSPrime, is clearly designed to encourage the 5 base vs 5 base management game, with every spawn location expanding away from the opponent. There are only ground paths leading to each player’s side of the map, both of which involve attacking up a wide ramp. Expect long, drawn out games, especially in TvT. It’s not a completely turtle-favored map though. The bases starting at the top, middle, left, and right edges of the map rather than the four corners naturally shortens the rush distances. A side of effect of the expansion locations is that the main bases are especially vulnerable to drop harassment from the middle of the map. Elevator tactics are also encouraged. In addition, there is a second entrance to the natural expansion which players can exploit, but at the cost of putting their army out of position to deny counter attacks.



Of interest are additional bases for each player located in the middle of the map and on islands. I do not foresee them turning games into 7 base vs 7 base stalemates due to their awkward locations. Rather, they seem to serve as incentive for players to secure dominance over both the air and the middle of the map.



Overall, Metropolis looks like a map built for long macro games, yet also allows for non-all-in aggression in the mid game through harassment of the main bases. This is a good combination of map traits for producing entertaining games. Interestingly enough, initial GSL games on Metropolis have been relatively short, with players opting for various aggressive tactics. Perhaps it has something to do with players anticipating greedy play and trying to take advantage of it? It will be interesting to see how this map plays out in the long run.



Entombed Valley





Does anyone else think this looks hilariously ugly when compared to the other 2 maps here?



Entombed Valley is a Blizzard map, but you wouldn’t know it if you were just looking for gold bases and expansions blocked by destructible rocks. This map follows the recent theme of “get Protoss to take more than 2 bases”, but unlike other maps with an easy third, the fourth base isn’t particularly difficult to defend either. Unlike Metropolis, the main base here is practically invulnerable to mid game harassment, as air units will have to fly by anti-air at either the natural or the third base to get there. This should make both mutalisks and drop harass more easily defendable. As such, the games here should be mostly about ground army positioning and how well players use the abundant resources in the late game. Oh, and they’ll also be about who has the better deathball.



On a side note, we may finally start to see longer PvP games as it is difficult for blink stalkers to threaten the main base. The downside of this is the return of colossus wars, so hopefully someone will find a more entertaining way to play the matchup.



ESV Cloud Kingdom







Cloud Kingdom, by Superouman of Testbug fame, is perhaps the most hyped map in the pool, being the winner of the TL Map Contest as well as the first map from the foreign community to be used in GSL. It is the only new 2 player map to be added this season. With players always knowing their opponent’s spawn location at the beginning of the game, there are more possibilities for planned, map-specific cheese than on 3 or 4 player maps. I’m expecting to be wowed by creative proxy building locations at least a few times in this tournament.



The next noticeable feature of the map is that the third base isn’t quite as easily defendable as we might be used to by now. We should expect to see plenty of 2 base aggression on this map, but long games can be played as well. 1 base all-ins (without proxy buildings), on the other hand, fall flat because unless you’re willing to attack up a ramp, the rush distance is incredibly long. Destructible rocks blocking part of the wide ramp near the natural expansion are reminiscent of Daybreak, one of the best maps for producing entertaining games.



There are many choke points around the map to help Terran and Protoss, yet also numerous attack paths to give Zerg opportunities to flank and counter attack. This architecture makes it easy to defend against a ball of units in a single control group, but rewards players who have the skill to split their army to attack from multiple angles. As a result, more so than any other map, Cloud Kingdom looks to be a map that takes more skill to play the more bases are taken.

No, it’s not that Blizzard map from the ladder. Metropolis, a creation of GSL’s LSPrime, is clearly designed to encourage the 5 base vs 5 base management game, with every spawn location expanding away from the opponent. There are only ground paths leading to each player’s side of the map, both of which involve attacking up a wide ramp. Expect long, drawn out games, especially in TvT. It’s not a completely turtle-favored map though. The bases starting at the top, middle, left, and right edges of the map rather than the four corners naturally shortens the rush distances. A side of effect of the expansion locations is that the main bases are especially vulnerable to drop harassment from the middle of the map. Elevator tactics are also encouraged. In addition, there is a second entrance to the natural expansion which players can exploit, but at the cost of putting their army out of position to deny counter attacks.Of interest are additional bases for each player located in the middle of the map and on islands. I do not foresee them turning games into 7 base vs 7 base stalemates due to their awkward locations. Rather, they seem to serve as incentive for players to secure dominance over both the air and the middle of the map.Overall, Metropolis looks like a map built for long macro games, yet also allows for non-all-in aggression in the mid game through harassment of the main bases. This is a good combination of map traits for producing entertaining games. Interestingly enough, initial GSL games on Metropolis have been relatively short, with players opting for various aggressive tactics. Perhaps it has something to do with players anticipating greedy play and trying to take advantage of it? It will be interesting to see how this map plays out in the long run.Entombed Valley is a Blizzard map, but you wouldn’t know it if you were just looking for gold bases and expansions blocked by destructible rocks. This map follows the recent theme of “get Protoss to take more than 2 bases”, but unlike other maps with an easy third, the fourth base isn’t particularly difficult to defend either. Unlike Metropolis, the main base here is practically invulnerable to mid game harassment, as air units will have to fly by anti-air at either the natural or the third base to get there. This should make both mutalisks and drop harass more easily defendable. As such, the games here should be mostly about ground army positioning and how well players use the abundant resources in the late game. Oh, and they’ll also be about who has the better deathball.On a side note, we may finally start to see longer PvP games as it is difficult for blink stalkers to threaten the main base. The downside of this is the return of colossus wars, so hopefully someone will find a more entertaining way to play the matchup.Cloud Kingdom, by Superouman of Testbug fame, is perhaps the most hyped map in the pool, being the winner of the TL Map Contest as well as the first map from the foreign community to be used in GSL. It is the only new 2 player map to be added this season. With players always knowing their opponent’s spawn location at the beginning of the game, there are more possibilities for planned, map-specific cheese than on 3 or 4 player maps. I’m expecting to be wowed by creative proxy building locations at least a few times in this tournament.The next noticeable feature of the map is that the third base isn’t quite as easily defendable as we might be used to by now. We should expect to see plenty of 2 base aggression on this map, but long games can be played as well. 1 base all-ins (without proxy buildings), on the other hand, fall flat because unless you’re willing to attack up a ramp, the rush distance is incredibly long. Destructible rocks blocking part of the wide ramp near the natural expansion are reminiscent of Daybreak, one of the best maps for producing entertaining games.There are many choke points around the map to help Terran and Protoss, yet also numerous attack paths to give Zerg opportunities to flank and counter attack. This architecture makes it easy to defend against a ball of units in a single control group, but rewards players who have the skill to split their army to attack from multiple angles. As a result, more so than any other map, Cloud Kingdom looks to be a map that takes more skill to play the more bases are taken.

















Writers: confusedcrib, iamke55, and Waxangel.

Graphics: Pathy.

Editors: Heyoka and Waxangel.