Road to BlizzCon #7 - RedBull.Bomber - WCS 2014 Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by Meru, shiroiusagi

Photo Credit: Meru Red Bull Bomber 최지성 The Fool by XXTN



With the rising sun behind him, the Fool stands on the edge of a precipice ready to step off and embark on a new adventure. He carries a bag of all his tools and builds, and blindly goes wherever the waves take him. Though RedBull.Bomber has spent his entire career in Korea, he has only won a single domestic title: Code A May 2011 on his debut tournament. He first tasted gold at MLG Raleigh back in August 2011 and had a second helping at the WCS S2 finals last year. With his first two premier titles coming from international competition, Bomber hungered for a return to his richest hunting grounds. The former StarTale captain finally got his chance in early 2014, when Red Bull gave him the chance to seek glory and experience life overseas—and what a year it has been. Bomber would capture Red Bull’s undying love when he won two of his primary sponsor's events in Atlanta and Washington D.C. He would then go on to dominate WCS America by making consecutive finals in S2 and S3, winning it all in the latter.







Winrate 67% vs. Terran 65% vs. Protoss 60% vs. Zerg Earnings $81,056 USD in 2014 6550 WCS Points Rank #1 WCS AM Season 3 - 2,000 PointsWCS AM Season 2 - 1,000 Points2 Tied - 750 Points Liquidpedia Link





"When you have a personal sponsorship, you have to be dedicated and force yourself to work hard and maintain your form throughout the season. This can be very difficult." While some preferred the safety and stability of a Korean team house, Bomber decided to take the road less traveled. He knew the risks of playing in an unstable, unpredictable foreign scene and took the leap of faith regardless. Players knew there was international prize money ripe for the taking, but most lacked either the talent or courage to move abroad. Luckily, Bomber had both. He was presented with a rare opportunity, and he seized it without a moment’s hesitation. Still, it must have been difficult to transition away from a team environment. Until this year, Bomber had spent his entire SC2 career with StarTale, which provided him with structure, support, and teammates to lean on. However, he forfeited those benefits when he agreed to an individual sponsorship. Bomber made countless adjustments and sacrifices, the biggest of which was living with Rotti and Nate. Still, he wasn’t afraid to go at it alone, and now he is the #1 ranked player in the world. Bomber understands that with big risks come big rewards, and it is precisely this mentality that has molded him into the champion he is today. This quality is not only reflected in his life choices, but also in his gameplay.







Bomber is a mad scientist who isn’t afraid to go out on a limb and experiment with crazy builds. He reads the metagame and tries to invent counters to popular playstyles. For instance, he was one of the first Terrans to master the SCV-pull against Protoss, which played a significant role in his WCS S2 Finals championship as well as his semifinal finish at last year’s Blizzcon. Bomber can also unleash archaic builds and unconventional timings that can KO an opponent with one blind side punch. His unique style can be genius at best and downright suicidal at worst.



Like a double-edged sword, his holy madness can slay the toughest opponents or stab himself in the foot. Who could forget when Bomber eliminated Rain from the KeSPA cup with a brilliant marine/medivac/hellion timing on King Sejong Station, or when he defeated FlaSh in the OSL with a mass viking/banshee/hellbat composition on Anaconda. But for every instance of wisdom, there are just as many moments of madness. To this day, no one but Bomber knows what force compelled him to play TvP mech against SKT.Rain in the 2013 OSL S2 semifinals. More recently, he had fans face-palming when he lifted off for a gold-float on Habitation Station in game 7 of the WCS AM S2 finals against Pigbaby. But like all great champions, Bomber has a short memory: he’s the guy who smirked after losing a fleet of loaded medivacs to Polt.



"I really like how the Blizzcon brackets have turned out... I will have to prepare a lot to make sure I don’t drop out of a favorable bracket." Out of the 16 attendees, the Mule Terran is the most likely to follow his instincts and act on impulse. Sometimes they work magic and sometimes they spell disaster. Either way, he harbors no regrets regardless of the results. When fans focus on Bomber’s inexplicable disappointments, they tend to miss out on his moments of brilliance. They miss out on the fact that Bomber’s deep understanding of the game is what has allowed him to remain so successful so late into his career. No matter how many quips and jabs are thrown his way, Bomber will always remain indifferent and play the game however he sees fit. He has relied on this willful, sometimes even boneheaded nature to navigate through a turbulent year.



Bomber set out for a grand adventure in January and has grown and experienced much over this past year. Sadly, this short phase of a much longer journey is nearing its end, which means it’s about time to return home. Upon winning WCS America, the Red Bull Terran announced he would be returning to Korea next year to once again compete in GSL. But before the inevitable occurs, Bomber has one final task to complete in Anaheim. Three years ago, he became known as the kid who defeated IM.Mvp to win Code A, and now Bomber is coming to Blizzcon as the #1 overall seed. This will be the toughest challenge he’s ever had to face, and yet he will walk into that convention hall with no fear or hesitation. This is the man who captained for StarTale, swept Jaedong in a WCS finals, and jumped out of an airplane: there is no one coming to Blizzcon who can rattle him.







Bomber has walked a long, undulating road laced with baneling landmines, and there is still no clear ending in sight. However, he has shown time and again that he doesn’t always need to scan ahead. As long as the ground is beneath his shoes, Bomber will trust in his instincts to see him through. While Blizzcon may be the ultimate destination for most players, it is merely a roadside attraction for Bomber. This is just one stop along the way for a man who appreciates the journey more than the destination. For now though, his road merges with 15 others… can the Fool find a happy ending to his yearlong odyssey?







While some preferred the safety and stability of a Korean team house, Bomber decided to take the road less traveled. He knew the risks of playing in an unstable, unpredictable foreign scene and took the leap of faith regardless. Players knew there was international prize money ripe for the taking, but most lacked either the talent or courage to move abroad. Luckily, Bomber had both. He was presented with a rare opportunity, and he seized it without a moment’s hesitation. Still, it must have been difficult to transition away from a team environment. Until this year, Bomber had spent his entire SC2 career with StarTale, which provided him with structure, support, and teammates to lean on. However, he forfeited those benefits when he agreed to an individual sponsorship. Bomber made countless adjustments and sacrifices, the biggest of which was living with Rotti and Nate. Still, he wasn’t afraid to go at it alone, and now he is the #1 ranked player in the world. Bomber understands that with big risks come big rewards, and it is precisely this mentality that has molded him into the champion he is today. This quality is not only reflected in his life choices, but also in his gameplay.Bomber is a mad scientist who isn’t afraid to go out on a limb and experiment with crazy builds. He reads the metagame and tries to invent counters to popular playstyles. For instance, he was one of the first Terrans to master the SCV-pull against Protoss, which played a significant role in his WCS S2 Finals championship as well as his semifinal finish at last year’s Blizzcon. Bomber can also unleash archaic builds and unconventional timings that can KO an opponent with one blind side punch. His unique style can be genius at best and downright suicidal at worst.Like a double-edged sword, his holy madness can slay the toughest opponents or stab himself in the foot. Who could forget when Bomber eliminated Rain from the KeSPA cup with a brilliant marine/medivac/hellion timing on King Sejong Station, or when he defeated FlaSh in the OSL with a mass viking/banshee/hellbat composition on Anaconda. But for every instance of wisdom, there are just as many moments of madness. To this day, no one but Bomber knows what force compelled him to play TvP mech against SKT.Rain in the 2013 OSL S2 semifinals. More recently, he had fans face-palming when he lifted off for a gold-float on Habitation Station in game 7 of the WCS AM S2 finals against Pigbaby. But like all great champions, Bomber has a short memory: he’s the guy who smirked after losing a fleet of loaded medivacs to Polt.Out of the 16 attendees, the Mule Terran is the most likely to follow his instincts and act on impulse. Sometimes they work magic and sometimes they spell disaster. Either way, he harbors no regrets regardless of the results. When fans focus on Bomber’s inexplicable disappointments, they tend to miss out on his moments of brilliance. They miss out on the fact that Bomber’s deep understanding of the game is what has allowed him to remain so successful so late into his career. No matter how many quips and jabs are thrown his way, Bomber will always remain indifferent and play the game however he sees fit. He has relied on this willful, sometimes even boneheaded nature to navigate through a turbulent year.Bomber set out for a grand adventure in January and has grown and experienced much over this past year. Sadly, this short phase of a much longer journey is nearing its end, which means it’s about time to return home. Upon winning WCS America, the Red Bull Terran announced he would be returning to Korea next year to once again compete in GSL. But before the inevitable occurs, Bomber has one final task to complete in Anaheim. Three years ago, he became known as the kid who defeated IM.Mvp to win Code A, and now Bomber is coming to Blizzcon as the #1 overall seed. This will be the toughest challenge he’s ever had to face, and yet he will walk into that convention hall with no fear or hesitation. This is the man who captained for StarTale, swept Jaedong in a WCS finals, and jumped out of an airplane: there is no one coming to Blizzcon who can rattle him.Bomber has walked a long, undulating road laced with baneling landmines, and there is still no clear ending in sight. However, he has shown time and again that he doesn’t always need to scan ahead. As long as the ground is beneath his shoes, Bomber will trust in his instincts to see him through. While Blizzcon may be the ultimate destination for most players, it is merely a roadside attraction for Bomber. This is just one stop along the way for a man who appreciates the journey more than the destination. For now though, his road merges with 15 others… can the Fool find a happy ending to his yearlong odyssey?



Bomber: Victory Through Overwhelming Macro



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