Maru: Slouching Towards Anaheim - Road to BlizzCon 2018 (#14) Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by 3StrakGames Photo: ESL Slouching Towards Anaheim by CosmicSpiral



Watching a player transform from auspicious neophyte to perennial all-star is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being a sports fan. It combines the desire to live vicariously through our favorite athletes with the altruistic underpinnings of supporting the underdog. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about rising up from the dregs to touching the stars through hard work and perseverance? Most of us lack the prerequisite characteristics to pull it off, yet we can admire the select few who flourish under such pressure (to the applause of a roaring crowd). This is especially pertinent in StarCraft where the majority of up-and-comers start off as teenagers. Not only does the audience experience the tension and drama of a traditional sport, they also witness these games double as maturation rituals of adulthood. Failures stagnate in their growth, lose composure during key moments and allow fear to hinder progress. Successes comprehend the monumental effort demanded to maintain a spot among the elite performers, maintain proper dedication and conscientiousness during lonely practice hours, and demonstrate gratefulness for their fortunate lot in life.



Debuting in GSL Open Season 1 at the tender age of 13,

Creator, TaeJa, Mvp,



For a long time Maru teetered on the brink between yesterday’s news and eventual champion. Several compatriots in the club either enjoyed short zeniths in their career or rescinded their promise to end up as mediocre side characters—



Maru’s misfortune ended in spectacular fashion when he won the 2013 WCS Season 2 OSL. As the last entry in the storied tournament’s history, it was caustic irony that the final champion bulldozed two of the most iconic Brood War expats in the process.



His career prospects from that point became spotty. It would be a bleak overgeneralization to suggest his time over these 3 years was one of endless disappointment: Jin Air became one of the most prominent Proleague teams largely thanks to Maru’s excellent record from 2014 to 2016. Maru himself never reverted to the forgotten youngster of yore, but the chiaroscuro painted by his results suggested he was still deficient in some aspects. After his breakout performance in OSL Maru landed four straight semifinal showings only to lose every single opportunity. Watching a player transform from auspicious neophyte to perennial all-star is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being a sports fan. It combines the desire to live vicariously through our favorite athletes with the altruistic underpinnings of supporting the underdog. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about rising up from the dregs to touching the stars through hard work and perseverance? Most of us lack the prerequisite characteristics to pull it off, yet we can admire the select few who flourish under such pressure (to the applause of a roaring crowd). This is especially pertinent in StarCraft where the majority of up-and-comers start off as teenagers. Not only does the audience experience the tension and drama of a traditional sport, they also witness these games double as maturation rituals of adulthood. Failures stagnate in their growth, lose composure during key moments and allow fear to hinder progress. Successes comprehend the monumental effort demanded to maintain a spot among the elite performers, maintain proper dedication and conscientiousness during lonely practice hours, and demonstrate gratefulness for their fortunate lot in life.Debuting in GSL Open Season 1 at the tender age of 13, Maru was one of the early aspirants tagged for future greatness. Throughout 2011 the Prime Terran was sorted along with Life PartinG , and a few select others as a group of emerging superstars. These players tore through the loose network of online leagues that functioned as playground and impromptu practice sessions, introducing innovative new builds and highly stylized approaches to the game. They couldn’t quite hack in Code S due to lacking the experience and composure of the Brood War transplants. But these prodigies had time to grow and flourish, or so their more ardent fans believed. In time they would succeed the old guard, NesTea MC , as the faces of StarCraft II.For a long time Maru teetered on the brink between yesterday’s news and eventual champion. Several compatriots in the club either enjoyed short zeniths in their career or rescinded their promise to end up as mediocre side characters— Yonghwa , Creator and Squirtle in particular either hit insurmountable obstacles or fizzled out at the height of their power. Others ascended to become household names. Maru found himself caught in-between widespread recognition and abject failure. Prior to the end of summer 2013, Maru accomplished almost nothing of note. It took him 9 seasons since his debut to reach Code S; subsequently, he never reached the GSL Round of 16 until 2014. In the era of Koreans infiltrating foreign tournaments and departing with all the swag, he was nonexistent. Besides winning Asia StarCraft League over BBoongBboong you’d be mistaken in thinking he never participated at all.Maru’s misfortune ended in spectacular fashion when he won the 2013 WCS Season 2 OSL. As the last entry in the storied tournament’s history, it was caustic irony that the final champion bulldozed two of the most iconic Brood War expats in the process. INnoVation , praised as the best Terran who transferred from the old game, never got a leg up during his 0-4 beatdown rife with cheese and a one-sided macro pummeling. Rain suffered similar distraught after he started out with a well-earned 2-0 lead; reminiscent of his semi-final match, Maru piled on aggression with landslide win after landslide win. It was surreal to see his diminutive frame on-stage as he held the glistening trophy. Despite being 16 years old, Maru was already a veteran of the scene. It felt less like his triumphant fulfillment than an old-timer finally getting their due.His career prospects from that point became spotty. It would be a bleak overgeneralization to suggest his time over these 3 years was one of endless disappointment: Jin Air became one of the most prominent Proleague teams largely thanks to Maru’s excellent record from 2014 to 2016. Maru himself never reverted to the forgotten youngster of yore, but the chiaroscuro painted by his results suggested he was still deficient in some aspects. After his breakout performance in OSL Maru landed four straight semifinal showings only to lose every single opportunity. Dear denied him twice while exhibiting some of the best Protoss gameplay ever seen up to that point; Soulkey and Jaedong took him down at Hot6ix Cup and WCS Finals respectively. This kickstarted a dry spell that lasted through 2014 until the beginning of 2015. His victory in 2015 SSL Season 1 was another watershed moment that should’ve signaled an unmistakable return to form. Yet besides second place at IEM Taipei he didn’t land another final until WESG 2016. Outside of perpetual quarterfinal finishes, Maru only reached the semis of GSL Season 2 before losing to eventual champion GuMiho



Rank

#1

Korean Standings WCS Points

14250 2018 Season Stats*

41–14 (74.55%) vs. Terran

77–49 (61.11%) vs. Protoss

75–30 (71.43%) vs. Zerg *Via Aligulac.com. Matches between 2017-11-15 and 2018-10-16.







His road to completing the hat trick was mostly effortless. After breezing through both group stages, Maru slapped aside GuMiho to set up a rematch against Season 1 finalist Zest. Their series garnered much-deserved ragging for how short and ugly it turned out, which sparked some hope Zest would summon more resistance during their second tryst. Such hope was in vain. A 4-1 score is closer on paper, but truthfully Maru imposed his will with equal brutality.



Maru’s bout with



Game 7 on Atlas was a short, tense affair. For a brief stretch of time TY could taste the upset. He had shut down Maru’s choice of cloaked banshees, leaving the Jin Air Terran in a precarious spot. Down 10 workers and a third CC, Maru gambled the series on the most decisive and desperate of moves. He gathered his remaining marine/tank/banshee force and hurled it at TY’s natural in a last ditch all-in. TY almost rebuffed with a SCV pull but in the end, the tanks and banshees output too much damage to absorb. Maru survived with 1 cyclone, 1 banshee, and a repairing SCV. His paltry army was strong enough to wipe out the stragglers helplessly spawning from TY’s production.



The coup de grace signaled an end of uncertainty, the closing chapter to his saga of deferred potential. Ever since the dawn of sports audiences have bemoaned lost futures that only exist in the imagination. It is a routine pastime in SC2, where a player’s promise can gleam and peter out in a span of months; when the season is particularly bereft of interesting observations, it becomes boilerplate rhetoric for writers scrambling to . By stamping his imprimatur on 2018, Maru has effectively closed the book on that tired tale. Even now, with BlizzCon looming on the horizon, it’s a struggle to articulate the significance of future tournaments in a way that suggests necessity. There is nothing left for Maru to prove—not to his stalwart fans, to his contemporaries, or the niggling voice inside that kept him on the straight and narrow during the apex and nadir of his careers. If he graciously decided to retire tomorrow, he would still hold a firm claim to the title of GOAT.



Material rewards and legacy aside, only the thrill of success remains. Maru is a competitor at heart (one must be simply to survive in such a punishing environment) who isn’t satisfied at the prospect of standing head and shoulders above his peers. 3 consecutive GSL championships is an accomplishment he can treasure on his death bed, but as long as the fourth one is within reach he will instinctively strive towards it. Like lounging on a Hawaiian beach watching an idyllic sunset, Maru yearns to relish every moment of his newfound success. And there’s no better way to maintain momentum than winning the biggest tournament of the year. BlizzCon is a daunting challenge for the majority of attendees; every round advanced is an ordeal, a feat of survival. BlizzCon for Maru is dessert at the end of a long buffet. Hoisting the trophy will simply satiate his hunger until the next GSL season begins.



With such spotty individual results across 3 years, it was a shock to witness Maru convert 2018 into a self-gratifying monument dedicated to his greatness. Such dominance wasn’t unheard of. Flash singlehandedly terrorized Korea within the 2008-2010 stretch despite the best efforts of Jaedong and company. iloveoov had a similar aura of invincibility during his heyday. Mvp looked all but untouchable when he first crossed over into SC2. Such examples seem ostensibly related...except these illustrations came with the caveat of timing. The aforementioned players reigned supreme from the beginning or soon after their introductions. When Maru captured GSL Season 1 and Season 2, he was doing so 7 years after his introduction. His successes were hardly outliers either. Stats floundered helplessly without mustering a real fight against Maru’s proxy tactics. Meanwhile nothing could be said about Zest ’s gameplay that hasn’t already been said about Afghanistan . With the exception of long series versus high-level Zergs—a prospective Kryptonite that turned out fatal at IEM Katowice and almost cost him the WESG final—and a few group stages losses against Protoss in Season 3, Maru has looked every inch the unstoppable titan the faithful anticipated.His road to completing the hat trick was mostly effortless. After breezing through both group stages, Maru slapped aside GuMiho to set up a rematch against Season 1 finalist Zest. Their series garnered much-deserved ragging for how short and ugly it turned out, which sparked some hope Zest would summon more resistance during their second tryst. Such hope was in vain. A 4-1 score is closer on paper, but truthfully Maru imposed his will with equal brutality.Maru’s bout with TY in the finals proved a nervewracking affair. Just like in their tussle in the finals of WESG last year, both players leveraged the frantic tempo of their standard gameplay. The effectiveness of such attitudes ranged from counterproductive to game-winning. At first Maru’s gambles on proxy play failed: TY jumped out to a 2-0 lead after deflecting his opponent’s early-game rushes. He found greater success with curbing his aggression to aim for macro games. In particular, Game 4 on Lost and Found saw Maru patiently transition into sky Terran to take a split-map scenario. Sensing Maru’s plan to exploit his mid and lategame prowess, TY took a page from Maru’s book on Blue Shift with a 2 base tank push. It failed to deliver the killing blow but the economic damage, along with 2 vikings executing a runby later on, granted TY enough wiggle room to snuff out Maru’s counterattack. Acid Plant started out well for the insurgent, who continued to adroitly parry proxy barracks shenanigans. TY’s admirable defense only applied to the first 3 minutes though. Once Maru regained his bearings, TY’s initial defense couldn’t compensate for his inability to check Maru’s map movements or prevent his fourth base from mining unperturbed. Eventually Maru out-muscled him with sheer numbers.Game 7 on Atlas was a short, tense affair. For a brief stretch of time TY could taste the upset. He had shut down Maru’s choice of cloaked banshees, leaving the Jin Air Terran in a precarious spot. Down 10 workers and a third CC, Maru gambled the series on the most decisive and desperate of moves. He gathered his remaining marine/tank/banshee force and hurled it at TY’s natural in a last ditch all-in. TY almost rebuffed with a SCV pull but in the end, the tanks and banshees output too much damage to absorb. Maru survived with 1 cyclone, 1 banshee, and a repairing SCV. His paltry army was strong enough to wipe out the stragglers helplessly spawning from TY’s production.Thesignaled an end of uncertainty, the closing chapter to his saga of deferred potential. Ever since the dawn of sports audiences have bemoaned lost futures that only exist in the imagination. It is a routine pastime in SC2, where a player’s promise can gleam and peter out in a span of months; when the season is particularly bereft of interesting observations, it becomes boilerplate rhetoric for writers scrambling to . By stamping his imprimatur on 2018, Maru has effectively closed the book on that tired tale. Even now, with BlizzCon looming on the horizon, it’s a struggle to articulate the significance of future tournaments in a way that suggests necessity. There is nothing left for Maru to prove—not to his stalwart fans, to his contemporaries, or the niggling voice inside that kept him on the straight and narrow during the apex and nadir of his careers. If he graciously decided to retire tomorrow, he would still hold a firm claim to the title of GOAT.Material rewards and legacy aside, only the thrill of success remains. Maru is a competitor at heart (one must be simply to survive in such a punishing environment) who isn’t satisfied at the prospect of standing head and shoulders above his peers. 3 consecutive GSL championships is an accomplishment he can treasure on his death bed, but as long as the fourth one is within reach he will instinctively strive towards it. Like lounging on a Hawaiian beach watching an idyllic sunset, Maru yearns to relish every moment of his newfound success. And there’s no better way to maintain momentum than winning the biggest tournament of the year. BlizzCon is a daunting challenge for the majority of attendees; every round advanced is an ordeal, a feat of survival. BlizzCon for Maru is dessert at the end of a long buffet. Hoisting the trophy will simply satiate his hunger until the next GSL season begins.















Argonauta Profile Joined July 2016 Spain 2869 Posts #2 Bow down to the King Rogue | Maru | Scarlett | Trap

dummy1 Profile Blog Joined April 2018 420 Posts Last Edited: 2018-10-23 15:10:33 #3 I did not read it, but I am sure that CosmicSpiral cried all night with pleasure while giving birth to every single word about Maru. I give you 10 cried Olli on Zest out of 10. Well done, bro.



P.S. My body is ready to see his final form. https://www.youtube.com/c/DepressingStarcraft <- Maru VODs and stuff | END REGION-LOCK NOW

Rodya Profile Joined January 2018 527 Posts #4 TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then. Banned for saying "zerg players are by far the biggest whiners in sc2 history" despite the fact that this forum is full of such posts about Terrans. Foreigner Elitists in control!

BisuDagger Profile Blog Joined October 2009 Bisutopia 17620 Posts #5 Maru has disappointed his fans in every tournament that wasn't the GSL. If he loses here, then he proves that he is player that can succeed primarily in prepared matches and has a weakness for other tournament types. This statement doesn't take away from how great he is, but it puts him on the level of MVP and Nestea who struggled to win across seas. Moderator Ofiicial Afreeca Starleague Caster: http://afreeca.tv/ASL2ENG2

dummy1 Profile Blog Joined April 2018 420 Posts #6 On October 24 2018 00:21 BisuDagger wrote:

Maru has disappointed his fans in every tournament that wasn't the GSL. If he loses here, then he proves that he is player that can succeed primarily in prepared matches and has a weakness for other tournament types. This statement doesn't take away from how great he is, but it puts him on the level of MVP and Nestea who struggled to win across seas.

WESG?

WESG? https://www.youtube.com/c/DepressingStarcraft <- Maru VODs and stuff | END REGION-LOCK NOW

yht9657 Profile Joined December 2016 1764 Posts #7 On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru. Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru.

HolydaKing Profile Joined February 2010 20326 Posts #8 On October 24 2018 00:38 yht9657 wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru. Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru.

He did, but it was best of 1 which he likely won't count. The series when Serral got crushed by Maru was pretty early this year, although he was already pretty good then. He did, but it was best of 1 which he likely won't count. The series when Serral got crushed by Maru was pretty early this year, although he was already pretty good then.

err0r33 Profile Joined July 2016 28 Posts Last Edited: 2018-10-23 15:44:37 #9 On October 24 2018 00:38 yht9657 wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru. Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru.



thats true, but bo1 can't be taked in consideration for anything ..



thats why everyone is hyped as hell to see a bo5 or even a bo7 versus the "2 best world players right now" ! thats true, but bo1 can't be taked in consideration for anything ..thats why everyone is hyped as hell to see a bo5 or even a bo7 versus the "2 best world players right now" !

yubo56 Profile Joined May 2014 495 Posts #10 On October 24 2018 00:38 yht9657 wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru. Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru.



That was a Bo1, small number statistics. The only time they played prior was the 3-0 at WESG, before Serral really turned it up yet another notch (how??) right, so it's kinda a tough call?



Dark also is not on great footing vs Maru, they hit in both IEM and WESG right, where Dark lost 4-2 and 4-3 respectively, getting proxy raxed out? They match up reasonably well, both have strong macro games but excel in scrappy games, but Maru definitely seems to have the upper hand.



sOs definitely always has a chance, maybe the only player chaotic enough to drag it out with Maru. That was a Bo1, small number statistics. The only time they played prior was the 3-0 at WESG, before Serral really turned it up yet another notch (how??) right, so it's kinda a tough call?Dark also is not on great footing vs Maru, they hit in both IEM and WESG right, where Dark lost 4-2 and 4-3 respectively, getting proxy raxed out? They match up reasonably well, both have strong macro games but excel in scrappy games, but Maru definitely seems to have the upper hand.sOs definitely always has a chance, maybe the only player chaotic enough to drag it out with Maru. Jung Yoon Jong fighting, even after retirement! Feel better soon.

Olli Profile Blog Joined February 2012 Austria 24290 Posts #11 On October 24 2018 00:21 BisuDagger wrote:

Maru has disappointed his fans in every tournament that wasn't the GSL. If he loses here, then he proves that he is player that can succeed primarily in prepared matches and has a weakness for other tournament types. This statement doesn't take away from how great he is, but it puts him on the level of MVP and Nestea who struggled to win across seas.



Mvp won a WCS, a WCG, MLG, IEM and BlizzCon overseas. He just didn't attend most overseas tournaments. Mvp won a WCS, a WCG, MLG, IEM and BlizzCon overseas. He just didn't attend most overseas tournaments. Administrator "Declaring anything a disaster because aLive popped up out of nowhere is just downright silly."

stardog Profile Joined August 2011 544 Posts #12 It's funny how many mentions Creator gets from being one of the 2011 super-talented youngsters. While it's a painful reminder that he never really made it, at least he can enjoy some lasting recognition.

yht9657 Profile Joined December 2016 1764 Posts #13 On October 24 2018 00:44 yubo56 wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:38 yht9657 wrote:

On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru. Pretty sure last time they faced off which was GSL vs the World Serral crushed Maru.



That was a Bo1, small number statistics. The only time they played prior was the 3-0 at WESG, before Serral really turned it up yet another notch (how??) right, so it's kinda a tough call?



Dark also is not on great footing vs Maru, they hit in both IEM and WESG right, where Dark lost 4-2 and 4-3 respectively, getting proxy raxed out? They match up reasonably well, both have strong macro games but excel in scrappy games, but Maru definitely seems to have the upper hand.



sOs definitely always has a chance, maybe the only player chaotic enough to drag it out with Maru. That was a Bo1, small number statistics. The only time they played prior was the 3-0 at WESG, before Serral really turned it up yet another notch (how??) right, so it's kinda a tough call?Dark also is not on great footing vs Maru, they hit in both IEM and WESG right, where Dark lost 4-2 and 4-3 respectively, getting proxy raxed out? They match up reasonably well, both have strong macro games but excel in scrappy games, but Maru definitely seems to have the upper hand.sOs definitely always has a chance, maybe the only player chaotic enough to drag it out with Maru.

Well Maru only lost 2 BO5/BO7 series in the past 6 months, one to Stats and one to sOs.

sOs might take him down but with Serral and Zest in his group he may not live long enough to do that. Well Maru only lost 2 BO5/BO7 series in the past 6 months, one to Stats and one to sOs.sOs might take him down but with Serral and Zest in his group he may not live long enough to do that.

TheDougler Profile Joined April 2010 Canada 8173 Posts #14 Not sure I quite understand the title in this one. "Slouching" doesn't really seem to fit. If it's related to the last paragraph then maybe "lounging" towards Anaheim might be more fitting? Even then, wouldn't be a great title IMO.



With that said, great write up. I hope they're saving sOs for last, I'm stoked for that one. I root for Euro Zergs, NA Protoss* and Korean Terrans. (Any North American who has beat a Korean Pro as Protoss counts as NA Toss)

Fango Profile Joined July 2016 United Kingdom 7762 Posts #15 I feel like this article doesn't appreciate how good Maru was in HotS. It lists his best accomplishments, but either glides over them or makes them sound like failures.



That run in 2013/2014 where he made top four in 7 out of 8 tournaments in a row or something ridiculous was crazy. Especially when you consider terran was the weakest it's ever been during that time.



He also won two starleagues and had more top four finishes in them than any player except soO (I think he did anyway, might have to check that one).



And his proleague record (which no one cares about for some reason) was absolutely the best in sc2. His consistancy, especially in playoffs, was unrivaled. Even during his slump from individual leagues in 2016 he put up a Flash level proleague season. Zest, sOs, PartinG, Dark, and Maru are the real champs. ROOT_herO is overrated. Snute, Serral, and Scarlett are the foreigner GOATs

Cricketer12 Profile Blog Joined May 2012 United States 13117 Posts #16 On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Stats has the best chance of anyone to beat Maru and it's a damn good chance at that.

sOs is probably second because sOs is back in Anaheim

Classic is third because if he pops off...

Stats has the best chance of anyone to beat Maru and it's a damn good chance at that.sOs is probably second because sOs is back in AnaheimClassic is third because if he pops off... Solemn Strike FTW l SC2 Liquibet Season 17 Winner l I am beyond imagination, succumb to madness.

hey_hey_lbj Profile Joined October 2018 1 Post #17 On October 24 2018 00:54 TheDougler wrote:

Not sure I quite understand the title in this one. "Slouching" doesn't really seem to fit. If it's related to the last paragraph then maybe "lounging" towards Anaheim might be more fitting? Even then, wouldn't be a great title IMO.



My guess is that it's a reference to a poem by Yeats, called The Second Coming. It has the line "What rough beast, its hour come at last, slouches towards Betlehem to be born?" or something along those lines. The title says "to" instead of "toward" so maybe that's not a correct guess. Doesn't really fit perfectly with the situation either but from my short read the author seems a little too in love with his own words to kill his darlings very often.

My guess is that it's a reference to a poem by Yeats, called The Second Coming. It has the line "What rough beast, its hour come at last, slouches towards Betlehem to be born?" or something along those lines. The title says "to" instead of "toward" so maybe that's not a correct guess. Doesn't really fit perfectly with the situation either but from my short read the author seems a little too in love with his own words to kill his darlings very often.

Olli Profile Blog Joined February 2012 Austria 24290 Posts #18 On October 24 2018 02:19 hey_hey_lbj wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:54 TheDougler wrote:

Not sure I quite understand the title in this one. "Slouching" doesn't really seem to fit. If it's related to the last paragraph then maybe "lounging" towards Anaheim might be more fitting? Even then, wouldn't be a great title IMO.



My guess is that it's a reference to a poem by Yeats, called The Second Coming. It has the line "What rough beast, its hour come at last, slouches towards Betlehem to be born?" or something along those lines. The title says "to" instead of "toward" so maybe that's not a correct guess. Doesn't really fit perfectly with the situation either but from my short read the author seems a little too in love with his own words to kill his darlings very often.

My guess is that it's a reference to a poem by Yeats, called The Second Coming. It has the line "What rough beast, its hour come at last, slouches towards Betlehem to be born?" or something along those lines. The title says "to" instead of "toward" so maybe that's not a correct guess. Doesn't really fit perfectly with the situation either but from my short read the author seems a little too in love with his own words to kill his darlings very often.



You're right actually, there was a mistake with the title before. Corrected now. You're right actually, there was a mistake with the title before. Corrected now. Administrator "Declaring anything a disaster because aLive popped up out of nowhere is just downright silly."

Tempest Profile Joined October 2015 United States 147 Posts #19 On October 24 2018 01:25 Cricketer12 wrote:

Show nested quote +

On October 24 2018 00:18 Rodya wrote:

TY? Maru just beat him. Classic? Maru beat him. Serral? Maru crushed him. Rogue? Maru crushed him. Stats? Maru beat him. Zest? No. Neeb? Decimated.



At first glance it seems only Dark and sOs really have a shot at beating him based on past performances. Maybe Rogue as well. I'm hoping for sOs vs Maru finals then.

Stats has the best chance of anyone to beat Maru and it's a damn good chance at that.

sOs is probably second because sOs is back in Anaheim

Classic is third because if he pops off...

Stats has the best chance of anyone to beat Maru and it's a damn good chance at that.sOs is probably second because sOs is back in AnaheimClassic is third because if he pops off...



Yeah, when classic is on, he is ON. His PvT is remarkably good, I don't think any protoss understands that matchup as well as he does. Im not super familiar with ALL the terran players, but minus the loss to sOs at ST2 and stats at GSL vs World, I think overall Maru TvP is fantastic as well. The only matchup I would want to see more than Maru vs Serral is Maru vs Classic with both at peak form. Yeah, when classic is on, he is ON. His PvT is remarkably good, I don't think any protoss understands that matchup as well as he does. Im not super familiar with ALL the terran players, but minus the loss to sOs at ST2 and stats at GSL vs World, I think overall Maru TvP is fantastic as well. The only matchup I would want to see more than Maru vs Serral is Maru vs Classic with both at peak form. Quick, think of some pithy cliche and toss it here

Shuffleblade Profile Joined February 2012 Sweden 1834 Posts #20 Great article, really hype to see Maru lounge his way through this =p As Tempest wrote above I agree Maru- Classic would be a great match indeed if both players is on top of their game. I don't know if its allowed to say but it is also really interesting to ponder how this GSL year would have looked if a certain zerg player hadn't killed his own career. We could have had the battle of the titans on our hands, or just no difference at all. Still interesting to think about, especially when you consider Marus rivalry with him. Maru, Bomber, TY, Dear, Classic, DeParture and Rogue!

1 2 3 Next All