[SSL] Grand Final Recap Text by Hyde Graphics by Hyde



It’s been quite awhile since Bisu qualified for the defunct MSL and an even longer time since he’s won an individual league title but he’s finally done it after two long grueling months. So a quick congratulations to him. While Epoxide retreats to tranquil surroundings to deeply contemplate the next Power Ranking and study for his exams, I along with the two biggest BW enthusiasts I know will be taking over to bring you this final post to conclude the SSL9.



First we have the handsome Endy who will be casting his critical eye and knowledge to bring you a



Now whether you jumped in joy or buried your head in a pillow and let out a few tears at the end of all this, the finals was absolutely amazing and so was this tournament, and in the words of kjwcj – the best is still yet to come.



As a final note I’d like to thank Epoxide and KristofferAG for the coverage they do every step of the way and a special thanks to our guest writers – 2pacalypse-, endy, JohnChoi, konodora, and Stratos. We hope you've enjoyed the ride and our coverage as much as we had fun making it. Until next time.

-- Hyde

It’s been quite awhile since Bisu qualified for the defunct MSL and an even longer time since he’s won an individual league title but he’s finally done it after two long grueling months. So a quick congratulations to him. While Epoxide retreats to tranquil surroundings to deeply contemplate the next Power Ranking and study for his exams, I along with the two biggest BW enthusiasts I know will be taking over to bring you this final post to conclude the SSL9.First we have the handsome Endy who will be casting his critical eye and knowledge to bring you a comprehensive review and grading of the games and player performances. Next we have 2pacalypse-, the big cheese of the BW department who will detail game four as a full-scale battle report jam-packed with gifs. Then we interview two TL staff members CaucasianAsian and lilsusie, who witnessed the grand event live and give us their perspective. Finally, I run through my top ten memorable moments in this tournament.Now whether you jumped in joy or buried your head in a pillow and let out a few tears at the end of all this, the finals was absolutely amazing and so was this tournament, and in the words of kjwcj – the best is still yet to come.As a final note I’d like to thank Epoxide and KristofferAG for the coverage they do every step of the way and a special thanks to our guest writers – 2pacalypse-, endy, JohnChoi, konodora, and Stratos. We hope you've enjoyed the ride and our coverage as much as we had fun making it. Until next time. Table of Contents



Grand Final Recap

The comprehensive review



A battle report

Game Four



Interview

The live experience



Top Ten Moments

The good, the bad and the funny



More info at

Liquipedia The comprehensive reviewGame FourThe live experienceThe good, the bad and the funnyMore info at



3rd place match

Movie < Circuit Breaker > Kwanro

Movie < Mist > Kwanro

Movie < Match Point> Kwanro





Movie vs Kwanro game 1 @ Circuit Breaker



Kwanro builds an overlord then a pool followed by a gas before a third base. Movie builds an early expansion. Movie sends his first zealot to harass Kwanro's third, and Kwanro's overlord notices that the natural is kept by a single cannon and a dragoon. Thus he opts for his signature zergling aggression and kills the cannon. Movie barely holds thanks to good micro and is able to build more cannons. The crucial +1 upgrade completes a fraction of second before the forge is destroyed. His uses this advantage to counter at 8 o'clock where he kills both sunken and all drones. Kwanro mutalisks are out, but Movie is safe with a sizable fleet of corsairs and an archon. Movies has complete map control and secures a fourth base at 6 o'clock. He attacks Kwanro's third base with a large army of dragoons and superior upgrades. Kwanro has only a handful of hydralisks and sunkens to defend and the base dies as he types out.





Kwanro saw an occasion to win the game outright with zerglings, and knowing that Movie was currently better at PvZ, I don't blame him for trying to exploit this opportunity. Unfortunately for him, Movie defended with minimal losses and from there Kwanro was far behind economically which made him look completely helpless the rest of the game. He should probably not have made mutalisks and instead tried to defend and macro off four bases.



Movie:

Nothing exceptional from Movie, but he did a great job defending the early zergling aggression. He kept building up his advantage with solid corsair/archon micro during the mid game, choosing carefully every engagement, and pressuring both Kwanro's natural and third base. Kwanro:Kwanro saw an occasion to win the game outright with zerglings, and knowing that Movie was currently better at PvZ, I don't blame him for trying to exploit this opportunity. Unfortunately for him, Movie defended with minimal losses and from there Kwanro was far behind economically which made him look completely helpless the rest of the game. He should probably not have made mutalisks and instead tried to defend and macro off four bases.Movie:Nothing exceptional from Movie, but he did a great job defending the early zergling aggression. He kept building up his advantage with solid corsair/archon micro during the mid game, choosing carefully every engagement, and pressuring both Kwanro's natural and third base.



Movie vs Kwanro game 2 @ Mist



Kwanro opts for an early pool. Movie chooses a standard forge, nexus, cannon. To keep Movie in the dark a few seconds longer, Kwanro blocks his ramp with a drone, but let it die miserably to the scouting probe.

Movie has the economic advantage. Kwanro makes once again an early gas, and goes for a low eco 3 hatch hydra all-in. He fails several times to catch the second scouting probe with slowlings and lets enter his main.

Movie adds a robotics as soon as he sees the hydra den, as well as 4 more cannons, with one on the high ground.

Kwanro decides to commit anyway due to his low eco. He destroys a few cannons, but Movie holds and soon a reaver is out, obliterating all hopes of busting the natural.

Movie transitions to corsair/reaver while Kwanro adds two more hatcheries to pump drones, without a lair.

The lack of spire and overlord speed make it quite difficult for Kwanro to defend harassment.

Movie drops two dark templars in the main while harassing the third and the nat with a reaver.

He scores a tons of drones and a few hydras. Kwanro attempts a final and desperate attack but Movie is ready to welcome him with storms, and the game ends in a puddle of hydralisks blood.





Movie played a good game, reacting well to the low eco hydra all-in: he skipped the corsair, and cannons were not added too early so he did not have to cut probes.

Also he showed an interesting cannon positioning with a very effective cannon on the high ground. Finally he did a good job multitasking in the end with simultaneous DT and reaver drop, putting an end to Pikachu's suffering.



Kwanro:

Denying scouting probes is probably the first chapter of "Hydralisk breaks for Dummies". Looks like he did not read it, maybe he should add it to his flowchart.

Not only Kwanro failed to catch the probe on the bridge, but he also let it go through the ramp, allowing Movie to see the hydra den and low drone count.

I would have given Kwanro a D, but I'll hand out an F for the Facepalming drone suicide at the beginning of the game. Movie:Movie played a good game, reacting well to the low eco hydra all-in: he skipped the corsair, and cannons were not added too early so he did not have to cut probes.Also he showed an interesting cannon positioning with a very effective cannon on the high ground. Finally he did a good job multitasking in the end with simultaneous DT and reaver drop, putting an end to Pikachu's suffering.Kwanro:Denying scouting probes is probably the first chapter of. Looks like he did not read it, maybe he should add it to his flowchart. http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/110336-kwanflow-chart Not only Kwanro failed to catch the probe on the bridge, but he also let it go through the ramp, allowing Movie to see the hydra den and low drone count.I would have given Kwanro a D, but I'll hand out an F for the Facepalming drone suicide at the beginning of the game.



Grand final

by.hero < Mist > Bisu

by.hero < Fighting Spirit > Bisu

by.hero < Match Point > Bisu

by.hero < Circuit Breaker > Bisu

by.hero < New Sniper Ridge > Bisu





Bisu vs hero game 1 @ Mist



Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we have all been waiting for tonight! Or maybe should I say this morning as many of our American fans are alive and kicking at 5 AM to witness this historical moment of Brood War! On my left, the Protoss Revolutionist and SSL Royal Roader, Bisu! On my right, the ZvP Master and fastest-hands-of-the-scene, hero! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!



Bisu spawns at 3 o'clock and hero a 9 o'clock. Bisu fast expands and builds a stargate and hero takes 3 bases and makes a hydra den. Bisu showcases his multitasking skills by luring the zerglings with a probe while sneaking a zealot into hero's main. Bisu instantly responds with a robotics facility and cannons at his natural. Déjà vu, I would say, but rather than going all-in in a typical Kwanro fashion, hero is content to snipe the forge and the gateway. At the same time, he techs to lair and adds two hatcheries.



Only a reaver drop can threaten him at the moment as Bisu has almost no ground army because of the money invested in cannons. Hero is perfectly aware of the situation and dispatches hydras and scourge to defend his mineral lines. Bisu does little damage with the reaver drop in the main, and soon hero has enough hydralisks to defend his base and attack Bisu's newly built third base at 5 o'clock.





Nothing is as satisfying as seeing drones dying



Hero is now ahead economically and has complete map control. Bisu finally gets a huge stack of drone with a reaver drop, allowing him to catch up a bit. But hero takes full advantage of the long distance between Bisu's main and third base, dropping a dozen hydras at the third. He kills all cannons and almost all probes, and follows up with a drop in the main. By the time Bisu clears both drops hero has made a control groups of mutas. He uses them to snipe the high templars and the remaining reaver at Bisu's natural, leaving Bisu's dragoons army helpless against the hydralisks swarming the place. Bisu ggs.





I praised Movie for his reaction upon scouting Kwanro's 3 hatch hydra, and Bisu had exactly the same initial reaction. However, he was not able to deal any damage with the first harassing reaver, and made the questionable decision to take a third base at a location that is difficult to defend. A strong corsair/zealot/reaver push on two bases would have been better in this case against a lurker-less Zerg on three bases.



hero:

hero proved that he was extremely well prepared, using a build order that put Bisu out of his comfort zone. He easily defended the corsair/reaver aggression while building a very strong economy. His decision to drop hydralisks in Bisu's bases was not only optimal, but also a pleasure to watch. Bisu:I praised Movie for his reaction upon scouting Kwanro's 3 hatch hydra, and Bisu had exactly the same initial reaction. However, he was not able to deal any damage with the first harassing reaver, and made the questionable decision to take a third base at a location that is difficult to defend. A strong corsair/zealot/reaver push on two bases would have been better in this case against a lurker-less Zerg on three bases.hero:hero proved that he was extremely well prepared, using a build order that put Bisu out of his comfort zone. He easily defended the corsair/reaver aggression while building a very strong economy. His decision to drop hydralisks in Bisu's bases was not only optimal, but also a pleasure to watch.



Bisu vs hero game 2 @ Fighting Spirit



Bisu starts with a forge fast expand at 7 o'clock and hero with an overpool at 5 o'clock. Hero goes for a very micro oriented 4 hatch lair into 6 hatch hydras. The fast lair allows him to quickly upgrade overlord speed. Hero is ahead economically. He builds a spore at his natural and third to help protect overlords and provide detection in the case of an early DT/corsair attack.



Bisu responds with more gateways and an early robotics facility as a strong army, early observer and shuttle to harass are the best way to prevent a likely lurker/hydra/scourge containment. hero indeed techs to lurkers but instead of using them defensively to turtle on 4 or 5 bases while teching to hive or aggressively to fight for map control, he simply let them sit between his natural and his third. Bisu takes a third and both players macro for a while.



Bisu has big army of dragoons and high templars that is very strong during the mid-game but become weaker against hive tech. hero finally takes a fourth at 3 o'clock. Bisu decides that it is time to attack as defilers and cracklings will be out soon. He sends all his army to the top left corner of the map. The Zerg army is caught out of position, and instead of sending reinforcements through the center of the map to flank Bisu's army, hero hastily sends them straight into Bisu's concave.





Try not to look at the amazing storms and observe the mini-map. A large portion of hero's army is still sitting outside his natural during this crucial engagement while it should have been used to setup an ambush



Bisu now uses his army advantage to secure a fourth base and more zealots and archons to fight the hive army efficiently. hero is on the back foot and attempts a ling/defiler drop in Bisu's main. Bisu attacks the natural as he knows that many lurkers are in a defensive position at the fourth.





This is exactly how one Zerg should not position his army



Instead of spreading out his lurkers behind the bridge to minimize storms damage, hero stacks them in front where they can be easily surrounded. This is exactly what happens and Bisu breaks hero's natural as the reinforcement from the fourth are stormed as soon as they exit the nydus canal. hero types out.







After losing the first game, Bisu's mindset seemed affected and he went for a safe opening. This put him a bit behind economically. But he demonstrated flawless macro -- seriously, how does one pump so many units out of 6 gateways? -- and chose carefully where and when engagements took place. Perfect army positioning and storms eventually gave him the upper hand.



hero:

hero's strategy was a bit unusual. He choose to be passive and build a strong economy, while keeping the threat of hydra bust or drop play alive with early hydralisks and overlord speed. He also defended brilliantly all attempts of harassment, be it the DT drop or overlord hunt.

However, his passivity in the mid-game allowed Bisu to build up an efficient army composition. I believe he planned to have a strong mid-game army in order to setup a lurker contain, but Bisu's later third and relatively early observers did not give him a chance.

He also was in a position where he could have easily dropped units in Bisu's main but failed to do so until it was way too late. Bisu:After losing the first game, Bisu's mindset seemed affected and he went for a safe opening. This put him a bit behind economically. But he demonstrated flawless macro -- seriously, how does one pump so many units out of 6 gateways? -- and chose carefully where and when engagements took place. Perfect army positioning and storms eventually gave him the upper hand.hero:hero's strategy was a bit unusual. He choose to be passive and build a strong economy, while keeping the threat of hydra bust or drop play alive with early hydralisks and overlord speed. He also defended brilliantly all attempts of harassment, be it the DT drop or overlord hunt.However, his passivity in the mid-game allowed Bisu to build up an efficient army composition. I believe he planned to have a strong mid-game army in order to setup a lurker contain, but Bisu's later third and relatively early observers did not give him a chance.He also was in a position where he could have easily dropped units in Bisu's main but failed to do so until it was way too late.



Bisu vs hero game 3 @ Match Point



hero chooses yet again to open with an overpool, followed by an extractor before the third hatch. The Revolutionist finally uses what can be called Bisu build, with a fast archive and a dark templar. There is no early aggression. hero upgrades overlord speed and hydralisks. Bisu takes a third at the mineral only and hero a fourth base at 5 o'clock. Bisu takes his own fourth base while hero techs to hive.



At this point, both players have a huge army, defilers defilers and cracklings are not out yet. Bisu uses this advantage to deny hero a fifth base at 6 o'clock. Then he pushes to the high ground on hero's side. The first big battle of this game occurs and ends quite evenly. However during the battle Bisu has sneaked 5 zealots into hero's fourth bases. He kills a few drones and almost snipes the hatchery. A few seconds later, he drops two high templars and two zealots killing no less than ten drones at the natural! He tries it one more time at the fourth but hero blocks the ramp with lurkers eggs! Meanwhile Bisu and hero both try to take a fifth at 6 o'clock. hero is forced to cancel the hatchery.





It's mine! No it's mine!



hero attempts a drop in Bisu's main, but several overlords are intercepted on the way, and Bisu is able to defend the drop with minimal losses. Additionally, hero loses all his overlords. This is only a temporary setback as he destroys Bisu's new base at 6 o'clock with lurkers and defilers. But that's not enough as a split map scenario is not ideal for a Zerg. His economy has also been severely weakened by the zealot raid and the drop. hero knows it and moves his army to the center of the map, forcing Bisu to retreat to his third. The base is in danger but Bisu is able to hold. Meanwhile Bisu has secured a fifth base at 12 o'clock.



hero is in trouble as Bisu has a death ball with a lot of archons supported by two reavers in a shuttle. He tries another small drop in Bisu's main, but the latter is ready with a lot of cannons and storms. A final battle takes place in the middle of the map and hero ggs.





Bisu managed to always be a step ahead of hero in this game:

- efficient overlord hunt during the whole game that crippled hero's macro

- excellent map control which allowed him to defend his fourth where so many Protoss players get caught out of position

- zealot raids to expansions during the big engagements

- good drop defense

And as usual, Bisu showed good army positioning and multitasking, making him the clear winner of this game.



hero:

Except for his constant inability to get rid of Bisu's sairs fleet, which scored tons of overlords and scourge, hero did not make any big mistake. Bisu simply played perfectly. Bisu:Bisu managed to always be a step ahead of hero in this game:- efficient overlord hunt during the whole game that crippled hero's macro- excellent map control which allowed him to defend his fourth where so many Protoss players get caught out of position- zealot raids to expansions during the big engagements- good drop defenseAnd as usual, Bisu showed good army positioning and multitasking, making him the clear winner of this game.hero:Except for his constant inability to get rid of Bisu's sairs fleet, which scored tons of overlords and scourge, hero did not make any big mistake. Bisu simply played perfectly.



Bisu vs hero game 4 @ Circuit Breaker



This awesome game has been covered in details by -2Pacalypse in the



I will nonetheless provide a bit of analysis and give out grades to each player.





Just like in the previous games Bisu seemed to be comfortable with hero's spire-less overlord speed opening. His zealot sandwich during the hydra break attempt was brilliant, as it not only allowed him to kill a lot of hydras but also all the overlords while hydras were attacking the zealots. His complete air domination netted him more overlords when hero sent a second wave of hydras. Both his first zealot push and the DT harassment at the third were well timed.



As in the previous game, Bisu seemed to be always a step ahead of hero until the outrageous lurker drop that cost him the game. While watching the game live, I told myself, "Bisu's got this, unless hero can land a nice lurker drop". Bisu confessed in his post-game interview that he knew a lurker drop would be the only way he'd lose in that position. Knowing that, not only did Bisu skip cannons but he also panicked and subsequently let all his probes fleeing the natural die to the lurkers inside the main. The fact that Bisu lasted 10 more minutes after losing almost all his probes is a testament to how ahead Bisu was.



hero:

Surprisingly after failing to defend overlords in the previous game, hero went for hydralisks with fast overlords once again . Hero first fell behind due to Bisu's incredible defense against the first hydralisks attack, and then further more because of the constant overlord snipes. However, hero was able to deflect the second zealot attack with perfectly timed lurkers.

We can blame Bisu for not building cannons when he knew the lurker drop would cost him the game. However, it does not take any credit away from hero, who also was able to find Bisu's Achilles heel and turn the game around.

After the drop, he was in danger a few times, reminding us of JangBi vs ZerO in TVing OSL, but unlike his fellow Zerg, he was eventually able to defend Bisu's ultimate attack by the skin of his teeth. Bisu:Just like in the previous games Bisu seemed to be comfortable with hero's spire-less overlord speed opening. His zealot sandwich during the hydra break attempt was brilliant, as it not only allowed him to kill a lot of hydras but also all the overlords while hydras were attacking the zealots. His complete air domination netted him more overlords when hero sent a second wave of hydras. Both his first zealot push and the DT harassment at the third were well timed.As in the previous game, Bisu seemed to be always a step ahead of hero until the outrageous lurker drop that cost him the game. While watching the game live, I told myself, "Bisu's got this, unless hero can land a nice lurker drop". Bisu confessed in his post-game interview that he knew a lurker drop would be the only way he'd lose in that position. Knowing that, not only did Bisu skip cannons but he also panicked and subsequently let all his probes fleeing the natural die to the lurkers inside the main. The fact that Bisu lasted 10 more minutes after losing almost all his probes is a testament to how ahead Bisu was.hero:Surprisingly after failing to defend overlords in the previous game, hero went for hydralisks with fast overlords once again . Hero first fell behind due to Bisu's incredible defense against the first hydralisks attack, and then further more because of the constant overlord snipes. However, hero was able to deflect the second zealot attack with perfectly timed lurkers.We can blame Bisu for not building cannons when he knew the lurker drop would cost him the game. However, it does not take any credit away from hero, who also was able to find Bisu's Achilles heel and turn the game around.After the drop, he was in danger a few times, reminding us of JangBi vs ZerO in TVing OSL, but unlike his fellow Zerg, he was eventually able to defend Bisu's ultimate attack by the skin of his teeth.



Bisu vs hero game 5 @ New Sniper Ridge



We promised you a historic moment. Here you go.

hero spawns at 10 o'clock and opens for the fifth time in a row with an overpool and sends his overlord in the right direction. Bisu spawns a 1 o'clock and builds two gateways, confirming that recently Protoss have not felt comfortable to fast expand on this map.



Bisu sends his first two zealots to hero's natural. Another zealot and two probes are trailing not far behind. Not sure if he is overconfident in his micro, but instead of pulling back for a few seconds and attacking with three zealots and two probes, Bisu moves in and allows his two zealots to get surrounded an take a lot of damage.



He does not deal as much damage as he could have but forcing a lot of zerglings and a sunken after an overpool is enough to give him an edge.



Meanwhile, hero has made a lair and more zerglings. Bisu sneaks a zealot at the natural to look for a possible early second gas, which would indicate a two hatch mutas. Bisu techs to corsairs and expands, while hero has made a third hatch, a hydra den and two pairs of scourges to defend his overlords.





Dance!



I am not sure I understood what hero's game plan was at this point, but he took a third base at 8 o'clock that was going to be difficult to defend. Bisu moves out and threatens to attack hero's natural but only sends three zealots to hero's third while the rest of the army goes back to his natural to defend a potential counter-attack.



Hero does counter-attack. Bisu not only holds easily but also kills several overlords at hero's undefended natural. Zealot leg upgrade are finally done and Bisu attacks the natural. Corsairs kill overlords while hydralisks are kept busy by the zealots. Hero has two lurkers morphing and Bisu does not have an observer but it's too late, four zealots are already in the main and they take down the spire and a few drones. Corsairs keep wrecking havoc in the air, and I left am wondering how hero is still able to make hydralisks.



Hero is once again trying to get back in the game with a lurker drop at the natural. Meanwhile, more zealots stream in hero's main while more overlords die. The two lurkers in the mineral line kill a fair amount of probes but it is clearly not enough and soon an observer is out.



Hero attempts another lurker drop in the main but it fails. Bisu then pushes with a much larger army and destroys hero's natural, securing the SSL9 Championship!





Except for the small micro mistake at the beginning that may have allowed him to deal a little bit more damage, Bisu played once again a very solid game. Despite a 2-gate opening, his constant overlord hunt with corsairs remained the cornerstone of Bisu's strategy tonight.



hero:

1-base play was more than likely on this map yet hero looked unprepared. He seemed more behind than he should have been after a 2-gate rush, and his decision to go for a super low eco lair + spire instead of a 3-hatch hydras was questionable, just like his third base at 8 o'clock. In some cases he could have also saved a few overlord by spreading them out when they were attacked by corsairs. I think that the two lurkers at the natural were delayed because he was supplied block.



Overall, he just lacked a game plan. Sure, Bisu's execution was superior to Movie's in the semi-finals [Movie also went for a 2-gate on the same map], but it was a bit surprising to see hero choking here. A possible explanation could be that it was the fifth and final game in what was hero's first individual league finals appearance, while Bisu is veteran of high pressure games. Bisu:Except for the small micro mistake at the beginning that may have allowed him to deal a little bit more damage, Bisu played once again a very solid game. Despite a 2-gate opening, his constant overlord hunt with corsairs remained the cornerstone of Bisu's strategy tonight.hero:1-base play was more than likely on this map yet hero looked unprepared. He seemed more behind than he should have been after a 2-gate rush, and his decision to go for a super low eco lair + spire instead of a 3-hatch hydras was questionable, just like his third base at 8 o'clock. In some cases he could have also saved a few overlord by spreading them out when they were attacked by corsairs. I think that the two lurkers at the natural were delayed because he was supplied block.Overall, he just lacked a game plan. Sure, Bisu's execution was superior to Movie's in the semi-finals [Movie also went for a 2-gate on the same map], but it was a bit surprising to see hero choking here. A possible explanation could be that it was the fifth and final game in what was hero's first individual league finals appearance, while Bisu is veteran of high pressure games.



Kwanro builds an overlord then a pool followed by a gas before a third base. Movie builds an early expansion. Movie sends his first zealot to harass Kwanro's third, and Kwanro's overlord notices that the natural is kept by a single cannon and a dragoon. Thus he opts for his signature zergling aggression and kills the cannon. Movie barely holds thanks to good micro and is able to build more cannons. The crucial +1 upgrade completes a fraction of second before the forge is destroyed. His uses this advantage to counter at 8 o'clock where he kills both sunken and all drones. Kwanro mutalisks are out, but Movie is safe with a sizable fleet of corsairs and an archon. Movies has complete map control and secures a fourth base at 6 o'clock. He attacks Kwanro's third base with a large army of dragoons and superior upgrades. Kwanro has only a handful of hydralisks and sunkens to defend and the base dies as he types out.Kwanro opts for an early pool. Movie chooses a standard forge, nexus, cannon. To keep Movie in the dark a few seconds longer, Kwanro blocks his ramp with a drone, but let it die miserably to the scouting probe.Movie has the economic advantage. Kwanro makes once again an early gas, and goes for a low eco 3 hatch hydra all-in. He fails several times to catch the second scouting probe with slowlings and lets enter his main.Movie adds a robotics as soon as he sees the hydra den, as well as 4 more cannons, with one on the high ground.Kwanro decides to commit anyway due to his low eco. He destroys a few cannons, but Movie holds and soon a reaver is out, obliterating all hopes of busting the natural.Movie transitions to corsair/reaver while Kwanro adds two more hatcheries to pump drones, without a lair.The lack of spire and overlord speed make it quite difficult for Kwanro to defend harassment.Movie drops two dark templars in the main while harassing the third and the nat with a reaver.He scores a tons of drones and a few hydras. Kwanro attempts a final and desperate attack but Movie is ready to welcome him with storms, and the game ends in a puddle of hydralisks blood.Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we have all been waiting for tonight! Or maybe should I say this morning as many of our American fans are alive and kicking at 5 AM to witness this historical moment of Brood War! On my left, the Protoss Revolutionist and SSL Royal Roader, Bisu! On my right, the ZvP Master and fastest-hands-of-the-scene, hero! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!Bisu spawns at 3 o'clock and hero a 9 o'clock. Bisu fast expands and builds a stargate and hero takes 3 bases and makes a hydra den. Bisu showcases his multitasking skills by luring the zerglings with a probe while sneaking a zealot into hero's main. Bisu instantly responds with a robotics facility and cannons at his natural. Déjà vu, I would say, but rather than going all-in in a typical Kwanro fashion, hero is content to snipe the forge and the gateway. At the same time, he techs to lair and adds two hatcheries.Only a reaver drop can threaten him at the moment as Bisu has almost no ground army because of the money invested in cannons. Hero is perfectly aware of the situation and dispatches hydras and scourge to defend his mineral lines. Bisu does little damage with the reaver drop in the main, and soon hero has enough hydralisks to defend his base and attack Bisu's newly built third base at 5 o'clock.Hero is now ahead economically and has complete map control. Bisu finally gets a huge stack of drone with a reaver drop, allowing him to catch up a bit. But hero takes full advantage of the long distance between Bisu's main and third base, dropping a dozen hydras at the third. He kills all cannons and almost all probes, and follows up with a drop in the main. By the time Bisu clears both drops hero has made a control groups of mutas. He uses them to snipe the high templars and the remaining reaver at Bisu's natural, leaving Bisu's dragoons army helpless against the hydralisks swarming the place. Bisu ggs.Bisu starts with a forge fast expand at 7 o'clock and hero with an overpool at 5 o'clock. Hero goes for a very micro oriented 4 hatch lair into 6 hatch hydras. The fast lair allows him to quickly upgrade overlord speed. Hero is ahead economically. He builds a spore at his natural and third to help protect overlords and provide detection in the case of an early DT/corsair attack.Bisu responds with more gateways and an early robotics facility as a strong army, early observer and shuttle to harass are the best way to prevent a likely lurker/hydra/scourge containment. hero indeed techs to lurkers but instead of using them defensively to turtle on 4 or 5 bases while teching to hive or aggressively to fight for map control, he simply let them sit between his natural and his third. Bisu takes a third and both players macro for a while.Bisu has big army of dragoons and high templars that is very strong during the mid-game but become weaker against hive tech. hero finally takes a fourth at 3 o'clock. Bisu decides that it is time to attack as defilers and cracklings will be out soon. He sends all his army to the top left corner of the map. The Zerg army is caught out of position, and instead of sending reinforcements through the center of the map to flank Bisu's army, hero hastily sends them straight into Bisu's concave.Bisu now uses his army advantage to secure a fourth base and more zealots and archons to fight the hive army efficiently. hero is on the back foot and attempts a ling/defiler drop in Bisu's main. Bisu attacks the natural as he knows that many lurkers are in a defensive position at the fourth.Instead of spreading out his lurkers behind the bridge to minimize storms damage, hero stacks them in front where they can be easily surrounded. This is exactly what happens and Bisu breaks hero's natural as the reinforcement from the fourth are stormed as soon as they exit the nydus canal. hero types out.hero chooses yet again to open with an overpool, followed by an extractor before the third hatch. The Revolutionist finally uses what can be called Bisu build, with a fast archive and a dark templar. There is no early aggression. hero upgrades overlord speed and hydralisks. Bisu takes a third at the mineral only and hero a fourth base at 5 o'clock. Bisu takes his own fourth base while hero techs to hive.At this point, both players have a huge army, defilers defilers and cracklings are not out yet. Bisu uses this advantage to deny hero a fifth base at 6 o'clock. Then he pushes to the high ground on hero's side. The first big battle of this game occurs and ends quite evenly. However during the battle Bisu has sneaked 5 zealots into hero's fourth bases. He kills a few drones and almost snipes the hatchery. A few seconds later, he drops two high templars and two zealots killing no less than ten drones at the natural! He tries it one more time at the fourth but hero blocks the ramp with lurkers eggs! Meanwhile Bisu and hero both try to take a fifth at 6 o'clock. hero is forced to cancel the hatchery.hero attempts a drop in Bisu's main, but several overlords are intercepted on the way, and Bisu is able to defend the drop with minimal losses. Additionally, hero loses all his overlords. This is only a temporary setback as he destroys Bisu's new base at 6 o'clock with lurkers and defilers. But that's not enough as a split map scenario is not ideal for a Zerg. His economy has also been severely weakened by the zealot raid and the drop. hero knows it and moves his army to the center of the map, forcing Bisu to retreat to his third. The base is in danger but Bisu is able to hold. Meanwhile Bisu has secured a fifth base at 12 o'clock.hero is in trouble as Bisu has a death ball with a lot of archons supported by two reavers in a shuttle. He tries another small drop in Bisu's main, but the latter is ready with a lot of cannons and storms. A final battle takes place in the middle of the map and hero ggs.This awesome game has been covered in details by -2Pacalypse in the battle report section of this article.I will nonetheless provide a bit of analysis and give out grades to each player.We promised you a historic moment. Here you go.hero spawns at 10 o'clock and opens for the fifth time in a row with an overpool and sends his overlord in the right direction. Bisu spawns a 1 o'clock and builds two gateways, confirming that recently Protoss have not felt comfortable to fast expand on this map.Bisu sends his first two zealots to hero's natural. Another zealot and two probes are trailing not far behind. Not sure if he is overconfident in his micro, but instead of pulling back for a few seconds and attacking with three zealots and two probes, Bisu moves in and allows his two zealots to get surrounded an take a lot of damage.He does not deal as much damage as he could have but forcing a lot of zerglings and a sunken after an overpool is enough to give him an edge.Meanwhile, hero has made a lair and more zerglings. Bisu sneaks a zealot at the natural to look for a possible early second gas, which would indicate a two hatch mutas. Bisu techs to corsairs and expands, while hero has made a third hatch, a hydra den and two pairs of scourges to defend his overlords.I am not sure I understood what hero's game plan was at this point, but he took a third base at 8 o'clock that was going to be difficult to defend. Bisu moves out and threatens to attack hero's natural but only sends three zealots to hero's third while the rest of the army goes back to his natural to defend a potential counter-attack.Hero does counter-attack. Bisu not only holds easily but also kills several overlords at hero's undefended natural. Zealot leg upgrade are finally done and Bisu attacks the natural. Corsairs kill overlords while hydralisks are kept busy by the zealots. Hero has two lurkers morphing and Bisu does not have an observer but it's too late, four zealots are already in the main and they take down the spire and a few drones. Corsairs keep wrecking havoc in the air, and I left am wondering how hero is still able to make hydralisks.Hero is once again trying to get back in the game with a lurker drop at the natural. Meanwhile, more zealots stream in hero's main while more overlords die. The two lurkers in the mineral line kill a fair amount of probes but it is clearly not enough and soon an observer is out.Hero attempts another lurker drop in the main but it fails. Bisu then pushes with a much larger army and destroys hero's natural, securing the SSL9 Championship!



In the fourth game of SSL9 Grand Finals, Bisu was leading 2-1 and needed only one more win to be crowned champion. Hero on the other hand, was determined to not let that happen, and started the game with a mindset of a winner. The game started on the Circuit Breaker with Bisu spawning at the one o'clock position and hero at the five o'clock. Both players decided that they don't want to risk anything and opened with the relatively safe builds, hero even more so with the overpool, while Bisu went for a fast expand.



Bisu mentioned in an interview after he won his match in semi-finals, that hero prefers the no-muta build and just likes to beat you down with the hydralisks. This was evident from the hero's decision to take his mineral-only third base, as opposed to the natural of another main base which is more usual. Of course, Bisu scouted all of this with his invincible scouting probe which he kept alive for more than five minutes straight. Seeing the no-spire build from hero, Bisu knew that he should have no problem using his corsairs to scout and harass overlords wherever he gets.



Meanwhile, hero was preparing for a big attack with his hydralisk army which he was making out of his five hatcheries. But having his corsairs roaming around Zerg's base uncontested, Bisu was well aware of what was coming for which he prepared accordingly. He built five canons and moved four of his zealots away from his base so he could flank the hydralisks, while waiting for speed upgrade to finish.







Bisu managed to defend quite convincingly, but more hydralisks were pouring in. The crucial part of that fight as seen in above animation is that Bisu managed to kill all of the hero's overlords. Not just that, but he also managed to snipe additional overlords that were on their way from hero's base to provide vision to his army. While all of that was going on, Bisu made a single dark templar and hero was forced to retreat. Bisu then tried to use his dark templar to harass hero's third base, but hero's reaction time was just unreal, even without any detection at that base.







Bisu then moved out of his base with a handful of zealots, attempting to inflict any kind of damage to hero. However, in a somewhat of a poor decision making and hero's superb defense abilities, Bisu attacked with a group of zealots into the hero's natural and lost all of them. A couple of sneaky dt's managed to get few drone kills, but this was far from enough to justify all of his losses. Bisu then made another group of zealots and started roaming around the map with them, trying to delay any possible retribution of hero. However, hero has already made lurkers by now and has managed to deny Bisu's attempt at taking the third base.





Denied.



After it has finally seemed that game will settle down a bit, hero pulls out a brilliant move of dropping two lurkers into the Bisu's mineral line, both at the main base and at the natural. Aftermath? See for yourself.











Besides killing most of the Bisu's probes, hero has decided to go for a killing blow and attacked Bisu's natural with his hydra army. However, Bisu has managed to defend the hydra attack with some well placed storms, while also clearing the pesky lurkers with his freshly built observer.







Seeing his economy in total shambles, the only logical course of action for Bisu was to gather what remained of his units and go for an all-in attack. It's hard to describe in words what has happened from this point on, as it was a ten minutes of constant action that forced you to sit on the edge of your seat, unknowing who will come out on top until the very end. Here are a couple of images and animations to help you visualize the mayhem that was going on.





Bisu sieging the third expansion of hero.







After killing a hatchery and dancing around at hero's third base for a while, Bisu decided it was time to regroup and decide carefully what his next move is supposed to be. After pulling all of his units back to defend against a fake lurker drop, Bisu has gathered enough units to pose a serious threat to hero's base. After pondering where he should attack first, Bisu went to hero's third base again and took it upon siege. With his meticulous control and cautious micro, he managed to kill most of the lurkers defending that base.







But upon seeing way too many sunkens there, Bisu instead looped around and went for hero's natural base which had exactly zero sunkens defending it.











Even though Bisu managed to kill hero's natural, hero just barely managed to make enough units and clean up the remainder of Bisu's army. It's interesting to point out that Bisu has tried to take his third base prior to attacking, but it was stopped by hero's group of hydras. On the other hand, hero did manage to build his own fourth base at six o'clock before the attack, which Bisu hasn't scouted yet.







Not being able to get his third expansion up, Bisu has already mined out his main and natural. Upon losing all of his units at hero's natural, Bisu sent out an observer towards six o'clock base and when he saw that hero is already mining there, he gg-ed out. A very close game, that was impossible to predict until the very end. In the fourth game of SSL9 Grand Finals, Bisu was leading 2-1 and needed only one more win to be crowned champion. Hero on the other hand, was determined to not let that happen, and started the game with a mindset of a winner. The game started on the Circuit Breaker with Bisu spawning at the one o'clock position and hero at the five o'clock. Both players decided that they don't want to risk anything and opened with the relatively safe builds, hero even more so with the overpool, while Bisu went for a fast expand.Bisu mentioned in an interview after he won his match in semi-finals, that hero prefers the no-muta build and just likes to beat you down with the hydralisks. This was evident from the hero's decision to take his mineral-only third base, as opposed to the natural of another main base which is more usual. Of course, Bisu scouted all of this with his invincible scouting probe which he kept alive for more than five minutes straight. Seeing the no-spire build from hero, Bisu knew that he should have no problem using his corsairs to scout and harass overlords wherever he gets.Meanwhile, hero was preparing for a big attack with his hydralisk army which he was making out of his five hatcheries. But having his corsairs roaming around Zerg's base uncontested, Bisu was well aware of what was coming for which he prepared accordingly. He built five canons and moved four of his zealots away from his base so he could flank the hydralisks, while waiting for speed upgrade to finish.Bisu managed to defend quite convincingly, but more hydralisks were pouring in. The crucial part of that fight as seen in above animation is that Bisu managed to kill all of the hero's overlords. Not just that, but he also managed to snipe additional overlords that were on their way from hero's base to provide vision to his army. While all of that was going on, Bisu made a single dark templar and hero was forced to retreat. Bisu then tried to use his dark templar to harass hero's third base, but hero's reaction time was just unreal, even without any detection at that base.Bisu then moved out of his base with a handful of zealots, attempting to inflict any kind of damage to hero. However, in a somewhat of a poor decision making and hero's superb defense abilities, Bisu attacked with a group of zealots into the hero's natural and lost all of them. A couple of sneaky dt's managed to get few drone kills, but this was far from enough to justify all of his losses. Bisu then made another group of zealots and started roaming around the map with them, trying to delay any possible retribution of hero. However, hero has already made lurkers by now and has managed to deny Bisu's attempt at taking the third base.After it has finally seemed that game will settle down a bit, hero pulls out a brilliant move of dropping two lurkers into the Bisu's mineral line, both at the main base and at the natural. Aftermath? See for yourself.Besides killing most of the Bisu's probes, hero has decided to go for a killing blow and attacked Bisu's natural with his hydra army. However, Bisu has managed to defend the hydra attack with some well placed storms, while also clearing the pesky lurkers with his freshly built observer.Seeing his economy in total shambles, the only logical course of action for Bisu was to gather what remained of his units and go for an all-in attack. It's hard to describe in words what has happened from this point on, as it was a ten minutes of constant action that forced you to sit on the edge of your seat, unknowing who will come out on top until the very end. Here are a couple of images and animations to help you visualize the mayhem that was going on.After killing a hatchery and dancing around at hero's third base for a while, Bisu decided it was time to regroup and decide carefully what his next move is supposed to be. After pulling all of his units back to defend against a fake lurker drop, Bisu has gathered enough units to pose a serious threat to hero's base. After pondering where he should attack first, Bisu went to hero's third base again and took it upon siege. With his meticulous control and cautious micro, he managed to kill most of the lurkers defending that base.But upon seeing way too many sunkens there, Bisu instead looped around and went for hero's natural base which had exactly zero sunkens defending it.Even though Bisu managed to kill hero's natural, hero just barely managed to make enough units and clean up the remainder of Bisu's army. It's interesting to point out that Bisu has tried to take his third base prior to attacking, but it was stopped by hero's group of hydras. On the other hand, hero did manage to build his own fourth base at six o'clock before the attack, which Bisu hasn't scouted yet.Not being able to get his third expansion up, Bisu has already mined out his main and natural. Upon losing all of his units at hero's natural, Bisu sent out an observer towards six o'clock base and when he saw that hero is already mining there, he gg-ed out. A very close game, that was impossible to predict until the very end.







We were lucky enough to have two of our own TL staff members, CaucasianAsian and lilsusie, present at the grand event and we just couldn't miss this opportunity to have a quick sit down and get some of their thoughts on the finals.



You can follow for more e-sport adventures.



Hello there! Let’s start with how long you've been in Korea and what you’re currently doing there?

CaucasianAsian Hey, so I have been in Korea since August 2012 with a 3 month break back at home in America from December 2012 to mid-February 2013. So all together, I have been here for about 17 months. I’m currently studying a University in Korea, majoring in Business, while also studying in Korean language classes.



lilsusie I've been in Korea for about 7 years now; I work as the South Korea news correspondent for ESGN TV.



Is this your first time attending a SSL final?

CaucasianAsian Have attended SSL Finals since SSL7, the first live finals for SSL, and thankfully not the last.



lilsusie Yes! I have been meaning to go to SSL events but never had the chance to, plus the Sonic studio is pretty far from the center of Seoul. But as soon as I heard that Bisu was going to be in the finals, I knew I had to go, regardless of the venue.



Considering the two players in the finals and how hyped this event was, what was the crowd and atmosphere like before the games? The place looked full from what we saw, was there a long line?

CaucasianAsian When I first arrived at the venue, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to get a seat, as the line was out the door, and over 1,000 people attended. Thankfully it wasn’t a problem, and I was able to get a seat close to the front. The atmosphere was extremely hyped. There were people running around trying to find the players, and wish them luck. In fact, I had the opportunity to witness Movie in the restroom being bombarded with fans trying to shake his hand before he could make it to the sink.



Honestly speaking, this was the first SSL that I watched all the way through. The games were spectacular, and just once again experiencing starcraft at such a level was amazing. SSL7 and SSL8 were very different in the atmosphere. But as Sonic’s Starleague grew and attracted a larger audience, along with former progamers, SSL9 was extremely nostalgic. I came to Korea a few days after the last OSL, so I was never able to experience a Starleague Finals, but being able to watch the players who I grew up cheering for, and against, compete against one another first hand was one of the best experiences of my life.



lilsusie Even about an hour before the event, the line outside was huge. They were handing out tickets in a first come, first serve method so it seemed that fans trying to get the best possibly seats came early. Then, once I got in and people started filling the auditorium, it was awesome. Thunder sticks were provided for everyone and they even had player booths and a craned camera for wide angle shots - it actually felt like a large budget final. The total tally for the evening was about 1300 people, they told me; I was definitely surprised to see such a turn out.



Any changes in terms of demographics that you might have noticed compared to past SSLs or other e-sport events?

CaucasianAsian SSL7 and SSL8 had a lot of families come to watch, I remember going to SSL7 and the majority of the fans in the audience were under 18, and a lot of kids came with their parents. But SSL9 was completely different. It was mostly college aged students and young working adults, who I am assuming similar to me, came to watch the players they grew up watching on TV. SSL7 and SSL8 had a strange feel of people not screaming for their favorite player when the game started. But during the SSL9 Finals, the chanting of “Kim Taek Young Fighting!!” were finally back, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.



lilsusie A little bit. It was very reminiscent of the old BW days from long ago, minus all the screaming female fans. The demographic was mainly high school or college aged, male students.

To CA - Concerning production and technical aspects, do you think there have been any improvements compared to previous SSLs, both throughout the tournament and the live finals?

CaucasianAsian The previous SSL’s that I have followed were notorious for having technical issues. Even during the finals, there was always someone running around trying to fix something that had gone wrong, pauses were constant, and regames were a norm. However, despite a few hiccups, SSL9 went very smoothly. Everything was a step in the right direction, and it was very apparent that Sonic and all the other staff had worked very hard throughout all stages of running the tournament, from preparation to execution. Also, it was great to see Sonic co-casting with Kim Carry and Lee Song Won. There truly is a great ambiance that goes with that combo, as all of their passion resonates throughout their casting to make a truly remarkable spectacle.



To lilsusie - Having been to many major esport events, what did you think about the SSL in regards to production value? Was it comparable to other big budget esport events?

lilsusie Like I said before, I didn't expect much. Of course it wasn't going to be as grandiose as an OGN or MSL production but still, it wasn't too bad. They had made an intro video to hype up the event and plenty of sponsor commercials and even a girl K-Pop group before the event. At the beginning of the 3rd/4th place matches, there were some streaming issues and the booths were obviously not sound proof - but since it's something that Sonic was putting together on his own, it was still really impressive.



Live at the event - Susie 'lilsusie' Kim and Justin 'Whiplash' Wilson pimped out in progaming gear

There were quite a number of returning ex-pro players this time around, any particular player you were

excited/surprised to see return? Did you expect either hero or Bisu to be in the finals?

CaucasianAsian When I first looked at the list of players who were competing in SSL, I couldn't help but giggle like a 10 year old girl going to her first N’Sync concert. There were pros from all stages, even Midas was there who I remember cheering for over 10 years ago. I honestly didn't expect Bisu to make it to the finals. He was always one of the best players, but I had assumed that the time not practicing, it would take longer to get into shape to win. But he definitely proved me wrong.



lilsusie I'm not surprised that ex-pro players would want to get in on events like these. Many of these ex-pros still stream BW and since there are no more official tournaments for them, having something like SSL is great - it allows them to compete once again, in a game they still love. I'm not sure who I expected at the finals either - but I suspect that the huge turnout was because of Bisu.

What did you think of the series between Bisu and hero?

CaucasianAsian I have always been a fan of PvZ. It is a matchup that I personally was always terrible at, so it was great to watch the finals to see Bisu make it look so easy. Once the first game of the series started, I was glued to the giant screen, mesmerized by everything that was going on. The excitement was simply amazing.



lilsusie Games 4 and 5. Damn.

Any particular moment that stood out for you? Either in the group stages or at the finals?

CaucasianAsian To think about any moment in particular that stands up and above the rest for the best thing to happen to Brood War for 2 years is very difficult. Although, I do remember watching the first game of the tournament between Mong and Killer, and being absolutely astounded. That’s when I knew that SSL9 truly had the spirit of the former pro-days. That TvZ was the best TvZ I had seen in so long. Also watching Sea vs Jaehoon on Electric Circuit, never letting up on the pressure was extremely exciting.



lilsusie Not one particular moment stands out, but while watching Bisu, I realized how much I missed the intricate micro plays. Also when he had his Shuttle-Reaver combos in Game 1, I couldn't help but giggle like a little school girl.



Thank you so much for participating in the interview! Are there any other thoughts you’d like to add before we warp things up?

CaucasianAsian If the progression of SSL continues to go in this direction, and with the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, not only in Korea, but outside as well, I cannot wait to see what will happen coming up. A few years ago when there were people crying at the death of BW, I too never thought I would go to a live BW event outside of a PC Café. But today we have sponsors coming back, fan girls and boys chasing their idols for autographs and pictures, new leagues continuously coming up, and more. Sonic was definitely right when he said that this is just the beginning. I cannot wait to see what happens for SSL10 and beyond.



lilsusie It was the first time in a while I was able to witness an entire audience hold their breath, gasp and jump out of their seats while watching SC. The atmosphere was really laid back; even the players seems to be having a good time. They were good sports about technical issues and their interview answers also showed that it was a fun event for them.



As much as I want BW to come back to the main stage, I know that it won't happen. BW has run it's course (and a damn good one at that.) But I'm grateful for these types of events and tournaments because they at least help satisfy the nostalgic yearnings that some people may have for the good ole' days of eSports. We were lucky enough to have two of our own TL staff members, CaucasianAsian and lilsusie, present at the grand event and we just couldn't miss this opportunity to have a quick sit down and get some of their thoughts on the finals.You can follow @lilsusie on twitter for more e-sport adventures.





It’s been a long two months and a lot has happened during the course of SSL9. There were a lot of ‘wow’ moments and they range from the good, the bad and the funny. If you were for whatever reason unable to follow then I’ve got you covered, while there were definitely more than ten memorable moments (like the floating barracks block), here are my top ten big moments this SSL.





Zero's elimination was both sad and hilarious. With a strong start and the early exit of Killer, people turned to Zero as one of the new champions of the swarm to take the tournament but it wasn't meant to be. During the Ro16 pre-game interview Zero made a playful but arrogant remark, introducing himself as one of the favourites to win the tournament, only to be knocked out immediately without taking a single game. Maybe next time Zero with a lot more practice.





Zero's elimination was both sad and hilarious. With a strong start and the early exit of Killer, people turned to Zero as one of the new champions of the swarm to take the tournament but it wasn't meant to be. During the Ro16 pre-game interview Zero made a playful but arrogant remark, introducing himself as one of the favourites to win the tournament, only to be knocked out immediately without taking a single game. Maybe next time Zero with a lot more practice.

Looking at the gif above you'd be forgiven in thinking this was a pimpest-play moment in the making, because that's what everyone watching at time was thinking. It's game two in the Ro16 between Mong and Tyson, and Mong was having an awful time facing the fearsome carriers with arbiter and storm support, so what do you do? You try and pull a Boxer of course. Unfortunately for Mong, his ghosts just weren't ready to cast lock-down and were slaughtered by DTs and the carriers. And when a ghost was finally ready, it was cast on an observer... What a total let-down.







As a consecutive (4x) SRT champion and current #1 PR there was some expectation that Sea to make it far into the tournament. However, Sea's checkered history with Protoss continued to plague him. Sea had barely scraped through the Ro32 against Jaehoon's carriers and it was Sea's one wish to not be drawn against another Protoss in the next stage but Lady Luck just wasn't on his side and he was eliminated by Movie to make another big headline.





As a consecutive (4x) SRT champion and current #1 PR there was some expectation that Sea to make it far into the tournament. However, Sea's checkered history with Protoss continued to plague him. Sea had barely scraped through the Ro32 against Jaehoon's carriers and it was Sea's one wish to not be drawn against another Protoss in the next stage but Lady Luck just wasn't on his side and he was eliminated by Movie to make another big headline.

Sky kind of has a bad wrap around TL, but love him or hate him the guy entertains and elicits reactions (just look at the LR thread for proof). For a while now Sky's tournament results have been quite bad and it's no different this time around and this gif is just one example. Sky was already struggling and this recall just didn't help at all but it does make for a memorable moment.





Sky kind of has a bad wrap around TL, but love him or hate him the guy entertains and elicits reactions (just look at the LR thread for proof). For a while now Sky's tournament results have been quite bad and it's no different this time around and this gif is just one example. Sky was already struggling and this recall just didn't help at all but it does make for a memorable moment.

This game was so fun to watch, it was an elimination race between hero (yellow) and Kwanro (red). Hero went on the offensive into Kwanro's fortified bases, Kwanro retaliated in return but the former CJ Zerg had an hidden base up his sleeve and everyone knew it, everyone but hero.





This game was so fun to watch, it was an elimination race between hero (yellow) and Kwanro (red). Hero went on the offensive into Kwanro's fortified bases, Kwanro retaliated in return but the former CJ Zerg had an hidden base up his sleeve and everyone knew it, everyone but hero.

For a while now Terror and Pusan have been at it, apparently from accusations that they've been stream cheating, so when Terror made sure he was in the same group as Pusan in the group selection ceremony it was going to be a spectacle and everyone showed up to watch and the place was packed. And in true Terror fashion he made his faces and he did his dance after defeating Pusan to the crowds delight.





For a while now Terror and Pusan have been at it, apparently from accusations that they've been stream cheating, so when Terror made sure he was in the same group as Pusan in the group selection ceremony it was going to be a spectacle and everyone showed up to watch and the place was packed. And in true Terror fashion he made his faces and he did his dance after defeating Pusan to the crowds delight.

Jangbi’s return must have been one of the most anticipated. As a back-to-back OSL champion much was expected from this dragon. However, right from the get-go Jangbi exhibited signs of struggle, his first group proved to be hard and things were only getting harder. But just as things were looking really bad a glimmer of hope appeared that the old Jangbi had not completely disappeared. In his final game just before he bowed out of the tournament, Jangbi released a final wave of storms not seen in quite some time. It reminded everyone of what he was and more importantly what he still could be, and it was great.





Jangbi’s return must have been one of the most anticipated. As a back-to-back OSL champion much was expected from this dragon. However, right from the get-go Jangbi exhibited signs of struggle, his first group proved to be hard and things were only getting harder. But just as things were looking really bad a glimmer of hope appeared that the old Jangbi had not completely disappeared. In his final game just before he bowed out of the tournament, Jangbi released a final wave of storms not seen in quite some time. It reminded everyone of what he was and more importantly what he still could be, and it was great.

I am eternally grateful to Sonic, not only because he’s keeping the Korean scene afloat on his own time and dime, but because he still insists on the group ceremony. And it's these group ceremonies that allow progamers to show a different side of themselves. Sometimes though this different side can borders on crazy. For more you can check out Stratos' coverage here, or the LR thread for tidbits and translations.





I am eternally grateful to Sonic, not only because he’s keeping the Korean scene afloat on his own time and dime, but because he still insists on the group ceremony. And it's these group ceremonies that allow progamers to show a different side of themselves. Sometimes though this different side can borders on crazy. For more you can check out Stratos' coverage here, or the LR thread for tidbits and translations.

It was quite a shock when the back-to-back SSL champion was eliminated in the first round. We knew it would be a tough tournament with so many ex-pros returning but the reigning SSL champ gone on the opening night was a real wake up call. While rumours of Killer’s lax practice schedule may have led to his early demise it still took a honed Mong dedicated study and practice to eliminate the champ, and even if the rumours were true Killer put up quite a big fight, imagine if he had practiced properly. This comes in at number two for what an incredible series it was and you can check it out here.





It was quite a shock when the back-to-back SSL champion was eliminated in the first round. We knew it would be a tough tournament with so many ex-pros returning but the reigning SSL champ gone on the opening night was a real wake up call. While rumours of Killer’s lax practice schedule may have led to his early demise it still took a honed Mong dedicated study and practice to eliminate the champ, and even if the rumours were true Killer put up quite a big fight, imagine if he had practiced properly. This comes in at number two for what an incredible series it was and you can check it out here.

It’s been a long time coming. Ever since Bisu qualified for the half-baked MSL, Bisu fans have been waiting for the moment that he would be crowned once more. With his retirement from the big leagues and his foray into SOSPA, fans held their breaths as Bisu made his way through the brackets. It was just really cool to see him return and take the SSL on his first attempt, and make no mistake it wasn't that easy as he was almost eliminated both at the semis and the finals (which you should definitely watch, I mean just look at the gif above). So well done and congratulations, Bisu!







WRITERS: 2Pacalypse-, endy and Hyde

PHOTOS & IMAGES: SonicTV, 538, lilsusie, FOMOS, Daily E-Sports, 2Pacalypse-, endy and Hyde rebehayans , and a special thanks to rangei It’s been a long two months and a lot has happened during the course of SSL9. There were a lot of ‘wow’ moments and they range from the good, the bad and the funny. If you were for whatever reason unable to follow then I’ve got you covered, while there were definitely more than ten memorable moments (like the floating barracks block), here are my top ten big moments this SSL. Because when you left, Brood War was all spotlights and titans. Now, with the death of the big leagues, Brood War has moved to the basements and carparks. Now, Brood War is unlicensed brawls, lost teeth, and bloody fights for fistfulls of money - SirJolt