[WCS KR] Ro32 - Group A Recap / Interviews (S1) Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by shiroiusagi

2013 GSL Season 2 WCS Korea Season 1 - GSL





Code S Ro32 Group A

Recap: RorO and Bomber advance





Winner Interviews

Post-match Q&A sessions





Brackets and standings on



Recap: RorO and Bomber advancePost-match Q&A sessionsBrackets and standings on Liquipedia Code S Ro32: Group A Recap by Waxangel



Results via Live Report Thread by opterown.

+ Show Spoiler [Match Results] + RorO vs. Crazy

RorO <Star Station> Crazy

RorO <Daybreak> Crazy

RorO <> Crazy



wins 2-0! RorO wins 2-0!



Creator vs. Bomber

Creator <Daybreak> Bomber

Creator <Star Station> Bomber

Creator <Whirlwind> Bomber



wins 2-1! Bomber wins 2-1!



Winners' Match

RorO <Akilon Wastes> Bomber

RorO <Star Station> Bomber

RorO <Whirlwind> Bomber



wins 2-1! RorO wins 2-1!



Losers' Match

Crazy <Akilon Wastes> Creator

Crazy <Daybreak> Creator

Crazy <> Creator



wins 2-0! Creator wins 2-0!



Final Match

Bomber <Whirlwind> Creator

Bomber <Akilon Wastes> Creator

Bomber <Daybreak> Creator



wins 2-1! Bomber wins 2-1!





RorO and Bomber advance to Code S RO16!







Roll Call

- RorO crushes Crazy and Bomber to reach the WCS KR Ro16.



With the total re-ordering of Korean StarCraft II announced on Wednesday, Blizzard VIPs such as Mike Morhaime and David Kim in attendance, and a record size audience present at GomTV's Gangnam studio, it was clear that the stakes had been upped as the GSL began its first HotS season under the WCS banner. At the same time, part of it still felt like just another day of Code S, with the defending champ ushering in a new season by going up against three other players qualified from the old GSL system, all playing together in the familiar old Code S format.



There were some worries about , the final WoL champion and first KeSPA champion in the GSL, before the tournament started. He came with the least amount of practice in the new HotS expansion pack. Even though it was just a showmatch, his one-sided beatdown at Flash's hands in a Proleague exhibition was further cause for concern. However, RorO showed that those concerns were unfounded and that he was no paper champion, emerging from the Ro32's Group A in first place.



As a Brood War veteran, there was a lot of familiarity to be found for RorO in his very first match: a BW-ified, mutalisk-centered Zerg vs. Zerg match against KT's . RorO took his first match in Brood War style, crushing Crazy in a single, massive mutalisk fight following a lengthy build up. RorO then finished his 2 – 0 series victory in a more SC2-esque manner, getting the better of Crazy in the early game ling-bane battles and turning that lead into a mid-game win.



His second series of the night proved to be much more difficult, as he went up against the mercurial and dangerous . Bomber had come up to the winners match having taken down 2 – 1, taking advantage of a failed oracle opener in one game and using an SCV-assisted, mass infantry timing to take the other.



The first game of the winners' match suggested it might be an easy series for RorO, as he swarmed all over Bomber with speedy, precise use of muta-ling-bane. However, Bomber put the pressure on in game two, opening with a cheesy reaper rush to transition into the mid-game in a good position. RorO used great muta-ling maneuvering to pull himself back towards even ground with Bomber, but was instantly ruined by one huge widow mine-on-baneling hit before a major fight. Bomber then tore through RorO's remaining forces, tying up the series 1 – 1.



The final game on Whirlwind was another exciting ZvT as has been the trend for the map, with the game progressing into a long, but action filled macro game. Bomber caused no end of trouble for RorO with his use of mines, drops, and even seeker missiles in the late game, but Roro withstood heavy losses and kept his economic base intact. That proved to be the key to his ultimate victory, as he was able to keep Bomber locked down in one corner of the map, starving him out of resources. Even though Bomber won one epic fight against BL-infestor-ultralisk, Roro had enough in the tank to simply remax, destroy Bomber, and clinch a Ro16 spot.



- Bomber defeats Creator twice to advance in second place.



Down in the losers match, Crazy was on the receiving end of another 2 – 0 beatdown, showing that being good enough to pass through the Up/Downs is an entirely different thing from being good enough to cut it in Code S. Creator used his favored two-base void ray all-in to take one map, and then throttled the life out of Crazy in game two with a brutal looking skytoss combination (more on this below).



That set up a rematch between Creator and Bomber for the final Ro16 spot in the group, with Bomber having won 2 – 1 earlier in the night. The rematch started out closely mirroring the first series, with Creator taking the first map by defending well against Bomber's SCV-pull timing. It was a funky game where Bomber had all the advantages to start, killing four probes with a reaper and discovering Creator's intent to go for a 6-gate bust with a well placed scan. Yet, Creator somehow still managed to transition into a macro game after deciding not to all-in after all, and then held easily against Bomber's attempt to break him before he could put together the invincible PvT deathball.



The second game saw Creator allow Bomber back into the series in a similar way as their first series. A failed oracle opener gave Bomber the opportunity to tie the series 1 - 1 before, and a failed immortal bust did the same for Bomber in the next meeting.



It all came down to one last set on Daybreak, with the winner extending his WCS KR life by a few more weeks, and the loser getting plenty of time to look into playing in America or Europe next season. As it turned out, the second meeting between Bomber and Creator would have the same result as the first, with Bomber taking a 2 - 1 victory to snatch the Ro16 spot right out of Creator's hands. He got off to a fantastic start, using a reaper to pick off five probes in the early going. Creator tried to go for a four-gate bust off two bases, but was thwarted by Bomber's well-prepared defense. After that, all Bomber had to do was use marines, marauders, and medivacs to pummel a highly disadvantaged opponent straight into the dirt. With Creator grasping at any strands of hope, it took several offensive command centers and manner mules to finally convince him to surrender the series.



While Bomber took the series and the second Ro16 spot, Creator still managed to get the final word in, typing "Terran imba!!!!!!" before typing GG and bowing out of the tournament.



Game of the Night: KT_Crazy vs. CreatorPrime on Daybreak



While neither Crazy nor Creator were able to reach the Ro16, they still played the most interesting, and perhaps the most meaningful game of the night. While everyone had heard about the dread "skytoss" combination in HotS PvZ, it had never been demonstrated in a widely seen, live tournament setting between top players. The brackets and results at MLG Dallas saw us witness mostly TvZ and TvP, and while PartinG did eviscerate Slivko at IEM with Skytoss, PartinG was probably winning that one no matter what he did.



Creator's destruction of Crazy with Skytoss was like the official announcement of a new age. From the beginning of the game, Creator knew that he wanted to play a half map game on Daybreak, and make incredibly powerful air units supported by a small number of expensive, highly efficient ground units. Basically, he decided he was going to play WoL ZvP, except he would reverse the races.



And just like WoL ZvP, his plan proved to be incredibly effective. The Tempest-Templar-Void Ray-Colossus army cut a path through the Zerg defenses like a hot knife through butter, and once Crazy had enough pure anti-air actually finish off the void rays, Creator just warped in blink stalkers to finish the game unopposed. We have to admit that Crazy wasn't exactly playing in a particularly creative or decisive manner, making him a perfect test dummy for Creator to make Skytoss look good against. Still, it was the game of the night that displayed the most marked change between WoL and HotS, and one that will surely start the ball rolling on a long ZvP debate.



With the total re-ordering of Korean StarCraft II announced on Wednesday, Blizzard VIPs such as Mike Morhaime and David Kim in attendance, and a record size audience present at GomTV's Gangnam studio, it was clear that the stakes had been upped as the GSL began its first HotS season under the WCS banner. At the same time, part of it still felt like just another day of Code S, with the defending champ ushering in a new season by going up against three other players qualified from the old GSL system, all playing together in the familiar old Code S format.There were some worries about Samsung_RorO , the final WoL champion and first KeSPA champion in the GSL, before the tournament started. He came with the least amount of practice in the new HotS expansion pack. Even though it was just a showmatch, his one-sided beatdown at Flash's hands in a Proleague exhibition was further cause for concern. However, RorO showed that those concerns were unfounded and that he was no paper champion, emerging from the Ro32's Group A in first place.As a Brood War veteran, there was a lot of familiarity to be found for RorO in his very first match: a BW-ified, mutalisk-centered Zerg vs. Zerg match against KT's Crazy . RorO took his first match in Brood War style, crushing Crazy in a single, massive mutalisk fight following a lengthy build up. RorO then finished his 2 – 0 series victory in a more SC2-esque manner, getting the better of Crazy in the early game ling-bane battles and turning that lead into a mid-game win.His second series of the night proved to be much more difficult, as he went up against the mercurial and dangerous ST_Bomber . Bomber had come up to the winners match having taken down CreatorPrime 2 – 1, taking advantage of a failed oracle opener in one game and using an SCV-assisted, mass infantry timing to take the other.The first game of the winners' match suggested it might be an easy series for RorO, as he swarmed all over Bomber with speedy, precise use of muta-ling-bane. However, Bomber put the pressure on in game two, opening with a cheesy reaper rush to transition into the mid-game in a good position. RorO used great muta-ling maneuvering to pull himself back towards even ground with Bomber, but was instantly ruined by one huge widow mine-on-baneling hit before a major fight. Bomber then tore through RorO's remaining forces, tying up the series 1 – 1.The final game on Whirlwind was another exciting ZvT as has been the trend for the map, with the game progressing into a long, but action filled macro game. Bomber caused no end of trouble for RorO with his use of mines, drops, and even seeker missiles in the late game, but Roro withstood heavy losses and kept his economic base intact. That proved to be the key to his ultimate victory, as he was able to keep Bomber locked down in one corner of the map, starving him out of resources. Even though Bomber won one epic fight against BL-infestor-ultralisk, Roro had enough in the tank to simply remax, destroy Bomber, and clinch a Ro16 spot.Down in the losers match, Crazy was on the receiving end of another 2 – 0 beatdown, showing that being good enough to pass through the Up/Downs is an entirely different thing from being good enough to cut it in Code S. Creator used his favored two-base void ray all-in to take one map, and then throttled the life out of Crazy in game two with a brutal looking skytoss combination (more on this below).That set up a rematch between Creator and Bomber for the final Ro16 spot in the group, with Bomber having won 2 – 1 earlier in the night. The rematch started out closely mirroring the first series, with Creator taking the first map by defending well against Bomber's SCV-pull timing. It was a funky game where Bomber had all the advantages to start, killing four probes with a reaper and discovering Creator's intent to go for a 6-gate bust with a well placed scan. Yet, Creator somehow still managed to transition into a macro game after deciding not to all-in after all, and then held easily against Bomber's attempt to break him before he could put together the invincible PvT deathball.The second game saw Creator allow Bomber back into the series in a similar way as their first series. A failed oracle opener gave Bomber the opportunity to tie the series 1 - 1 before, and a failed immortal bust did the same for Bomber in the next meeting.It all came down to one last set on Daybreak, with the winner extending his WCS KR life by a few more weeks, and the loser getting plenty of time to look into playing in America or Europe next season. As it turned out, the second meeting between Bomber and Creator would have the same result as the first, with Bomber taking a 2 - 1 victory to snatch the Ro16 spot right out of Creator's hands. He got off to a fantastic start, using a reaper to pick off five probes in the early going. Creator tried to go for a four-gate bust off two bases, but was thwarted by Bomber's well-prepared defense. After that, all Bomber had to do was use marines, marauders, and medivacs to pummel a highly disadvantaged opponent straight into the dirt. With Creator grasping at any strands of hope, it took several offensive command centers and manner mules to finally convince him to surrender the series.While Bomber took the series and the second Ro16 spot, Creator still managed to get the final word in, typing "Terran imba!!!!!!" before typing GG and bowing out of the tournament.While neither Crazy nor Creator were able to reach the Ro16, they still played the most interesting, and perhaps the most meaningful game of the night. While everyone had heard about the dread "skytoss" combination in HotS PvZ, it had never been demonstrated in a widely seen, live tournament setting between top players. The brackets and results at MLG Dallas saw us witness mostly TvZ and TvP, and while PartinG did eviscerate Slivko at IEM with Skytoss, PartinG was probably winning that one no matter what he did.Creator's destruction of Crazy with Skytoss was like the official announcement of a new age. From the beginning of the game, Creator knew that he wanted to play a half map game on Daybreak, and make incredibly powerful air units supported by a small number of expensive, highly efficient ground units. Basically, he decided he was going to play WoL ZvP, except he would reverse the races.And just like WoL ZvP, his plan proved to be incredibly effective. The Tempest-Templar-Void Ray-Colossus army cut a path through the Zerg defenses like a hot knife through butter, and once Crazy had enough pure anti-air actually finish off the void rays, Creator just warped in blink stalkers to finish the game unopposed. We have to admit that Crazy wasn't exactly playing in a particularly creative or decisive manner, making him a perfect test dummy for Creator to make Skytoss look good against. Still, it was the game of the night that displayed the most marked change between WoL and HotS, and one that will surely start the ball rolling on a long ZvP debate. Winner Interviews From the post game press conference.



Samsung_RorO



Q: You entered this tournament as the defending champion. How do you feel about reaching the Ro16?

A: I thought I would go up without much trouble, and didn't think much about it. It's great that things went as I hoped.



Q: Having played in the last WoL finals, you didn't have as much time to prepare for HotS. Was that added pressure for you?

A: I tried to play with as little pressure as possible and to adjust to a new game. I couldn't feel that there were many big differences.



Q: You won easily against Crazy. Do you think your decision to pick him as your first opponent worked out?

A: I didn't know much about ZvP or ZvT at the time I had to pick my opponent, so I picked ZvZ, the match-up I thought I could win. There weren't many Zergs to choose from, so I went with Crazy.



Q: ZvZ has become a muta-fight, much like Brood War. Is that better for you?

A: It's sad that there's less variety in the match-up compared to WoL. It's unfortunate that hydra-roach-infestor compositions are gone.



Q: You took a lot of damage to widow mines in the game you lost against Bomber.

A: I'm feeling that ZvT is hard in HotS, and I did lose that game. The map kind of affected it, and Bomber prepared well so I couldn't do anything since I was disadvantaged from the start.



Q: You think there's a balance problem?

A: If there are no mines... in WoL I even felt bad for Terrans, so I think it's okay to give the mines. Zerg has to be more finesseful than in WoL, and if they do balance should be alright.



Q: You didn't get to play ZvP today, but there's a lot of late game complaints about that matchup

A: As I prepared for today's games I didn't think much about it, but I was afraid of Creator and prepared especially for him. I feel bad I didn't face him, but I think I found my own solution so I'll show you ZvP some other time in the GSL.



Q: You reached the Ro16, anyone you want to face?

A: There's no one I want to face in particular, I just want to show people different kinds of games.



Q: What do you think of playing the new GSL booths?

A: The booths are nice, with very good sound insulation. I like them the most of the ones I've ever played in.



Q: There was a big WCS announcement yesterday. What are your thoughts?

A: I don't really pay much attention to outside situations. I just play the game without thinking about those things.



Q: There's more at stake with new WCS format.... are you looking ahead to the season finals?

A: Given my current pace I'm confident I can get there. There's now a tournament that any progamer wants more than anything, as do I. If I keep going at this pace, I think I can get there without trouble.



Q: Any last comments?

A: I got burned saying too much last season, so I'll just play and be quiet this time.





ST_Bomber



Q: How do you feel about reaching the Ro16?

A: I'm happy to reach the Ro16 twice in a row. It's an important season with the restructuring so I was very nervous, so it's a relief that I got a good result.



Q: How do you feel about WCS and the new structure?

A: I think it's unfortunate that there are less tourneys in Korea overall, but I can't do anything about it, so I just have to do my best in these circumstances.



Q: You used reapers well in today's games.

A: I didn't prepare for a final series situation at all, so I didn't have any other strategies to use. Creator ended up not being able to deal with them well.



Q: You performed a few SCV-pulled, all-in type rushes against Creator.

A: I had confidence that I would win with those timings, but I made a big micro mistakes against him in the first game. It's a timing that Protoss shouldn't be able to stop.



Q: Against RorO, the games looked kind of one-sided.

A: In TvZ I couldn't micro well, I think maybe because I was nervous. I just didn't play well at all, but I'm confident if I can be way better if I play the way I usually can.



Q: Creator left your final series complaining about Terran imbalance.

A: If he played macro games instead of all-ins in his series, it would have been more difficult for me, and he could have won. I think Toss is a bit better than Terran right now, so I don't agree.



Q: You won the battles against RorO but didn't win the war in your final set on Whirlwind.

A: Even though the game looked even, it was a very bad situation for me. Zerg had a lot of resources and he could just remax. I had to win a battle one more time after he remaxed, but I lost my forces due to a mistake so I lost.



Q: Who do you want to face, or what race do you want face in the Ro16?

A: I'm most confident against Zerg right now, but I don't think my skills are coming out in broadcast games because of nerves. There's a lot of time until group selections, so I'll think what to do during that time.



Q: You said the number of tournaments went down, but there is still a WCS Season Final tournament. How do you feel about your chances of making it there?

A: If I work hard, I think there's a great chance I make it there.



Q: There would probably be a lot of Korean players at such an event.

A: I feel bad saying it, but it IS true that foreigners can't stand up to Koreans.



Q: How do your colleagues feel about WCS?

A: I don't think it matters to the very best players, but there's some damage taken by the players in the low-middle tier.



Q: Any final comments:

A: Thanks to Red Bull, Zowie, Joygear, and my teammates for helping me. I performed a ceremony at the end of today's matches. When I play in GSTL against Prime, I will go out as a sniper for Creator, so he better watch his back.





Q: You entered this tournament as the defending champion. How do you feel about reaching the Ro16?A: I thought I would go up without much trouble, and didn't think much about it. It's great that things went as I hoped.Q: Having played in the last WoL finals, you didn't have as much time to prepare for HotS. Was that added pressure for you?A: I tried to play with as little pressure as possible and to adjust to a new game. I couldn't feel that there were many big differences.Q: You won easily against Crazy. Do you think your decision to pick him as your first opponent worked out?A: I didn't know much about ZvP or ZvT at the time I had to pick my opponent, so I picked ZvZ, the match-up I thought I could win. There weren't many Zergs to choose from, so I went with Crazy.Q: ZvZ has become a muta-fight, much like Brood War. Is that better for you?A: It's sad that there's less variety in the match-up compared to WoL. It's unfortunate that hydra-roach-infestor compositions are gone.Q: You took a lot of damage to widow mines in the game you lost against Bomber.A: I'm feeling that ZvT is hard in HotS, and I did lose that game. The map kind of affected it, and Bomber prepared well so I couldn't do anything since I was disadvantaged from the start.Q: You think there's a balance problem?A: If there are no mines... in WoL I even felt bad for Terrans, so I think it's okay to give the mines. Zerg has to be more finesseful than in WoL, and if they do balance should be alright.Q: You didn't get to play ZvP today, but there's a lot of late game complaints about that matchupA: As I prepared for today's games I didn't think much about it, but I was afraid of Creator and prepared especially for him. I feel bad I didn't face him, but I think I found my own solution so I'll show you ZvP some other time in the GSL.Q: You reached the Ro16, anyone you want to face?A: There's no one I want to face in particular, I just want to show people different kinds of games.Q: What do you think of playing the new GSL booths?A: The booths are nice, with very good sound insulation. I like them the most of the ones I've ever played in.Q: There was a big WCS announcement yesterday. What are your thoughts?A: I don't really pay much attention to outside situations. I just play the game without thinking about those things.Q: There's more at stake with new WCS format.... are you looking ahead to the season finals?A: Given my current pace I'm confident I can get there. There's now a tournament that any progamer wants more than anything, as do I. If I keep going at this pace, I think I can get there without trouble.Q: Any last comments?A: I got burned saying too much last season, so I'll just play and be quiet this time.Q: How do you feel about reaching the Ro16?A: I'm happy to reach the Ro16 twice in a row. It's an important season with the restructuring so I was very nervous, so it's a relief that I got a good result.Q: How do you feel about WCS and the new structure?A: I think it's unfortunate that there are less tourneys in Korea overall, but I can't do anything about it, so I just have to do my best in these circumstances.Q: You used reapers well in today's games.A: I didn't prepare for a final series situation at all, so I didn't have any other strategies to use. Creator ended up not being able to deal with them well.Q: You performed a few SCV-pulled, all-in type rushes against Creator.A: I had confidence that I would win with those timings, but I made a big micro mistakes against him in the first game. It's a timing that Protoss shouldn't be able to stop.Q: Against RorO, the games looked kind of one-sided.A: In TvZ I couldn't micro well, I think maybe because I was nervous. I just didn't play well at all, but I'm confident if I can be way better if I play the way I usually can.Q: Creator left your final series complaining about Terran imbalance.A: If he played macro games instead of all-ins in his series, it would have been more difficult for me, and he could have won. I think Toss is a bit better than Terran right now, so I don't agree.Q: You won the battles against RorO but didn't win the war in your final set on Whirlwind.A: Even though the game looked even, it was a very bad situation for me. Zerg had a lot of resources and he could just remax. I had to win a battle one more time after he remaxed, but I lost my forces due to a mistake so I lost.Q: Who do you want to face, or what race do you want face in the Ro16?A: I'm most confident against Zerg right now, but I don't think my skills are coming out in broadcast games because of nerves. There's a lot of time until group selections, so I'll think what to do during that time.Q: You said the number of tournaments went down, but there is still a WCS Season Final tournament. How do you feel about your chances of making it there?A: If I work hard, I think there's a great chance I make it there.Q: There would probably be a lot of Korean players at such an event.A: I feel bad saying it, but it IS true that foreigners can't stand up to Koreans.Q: How do your colleagues feel about WCS?A: I don't think it matters to the very best players, but there's some damage taken by the players in the low-middle tier.Q: Any final comments:A: Thanks to Red Bull, Zowie, Joygear, and my teammates for helping me. I performed a ceremony at the end of today's matches. When I play in GSTL against Prime, I will go out as a sniper for Creator, so he better watch his back.