

Shinhan Proleague 2010/2011 - Team Liquid Coverage





In This Issue







R6 Week 4 Recap



Wooki the Rookie

Cooler than Snooki



R6 Week 5 Previews

Proleague: Total War







We're running the play short handed this week, but thanks to the tireless work of Broodwar fans like Kiante and mustaju, the PL update is on your doorstep on time, as always. This week, the update is pint sized but feisty! With the usual in depth recaps and previews and an interesting piece on Wooki the rookie, this weekly update should keep you entertained between today's games.











With the round in full swing and playoff positions up for grabs, make sure you stay tuned to Proleague. In fact, using









SKT is awesome, the R&S thread agrees.



Well, enough bias for now! Let's jump right into what we have for you this week. Good games, sports fans, and Happy PL!



We're running the play short handed this week, but thanks to the tireless work of Broodwar fans like Kiante and mustaju, the PL update is on your doorstep on time, as always. This week, the update is pint sized but feisty! With the usual in depth recaps and previews and an interesting piece on Wooki the rookie, this weekly update should keep you entertained between today's games.With the round in full swing and playoff positions up for grabs, make sure you stay tuned to Proleague. In fact, using the SPL 10-11 R&S thread is a way to keep up with PL, and it's certainly something all of us use on a weekly basis. Thank you Simplistik for keeping it updated!Well, enough bias for now! Let's jump right into what we have for you this week. Good games, sports fans, and Happy PL!





The WeMade Fox rookie, Wooki, is altogether an unknown property in the current Broodwar scene. In this analysis I will try to give some insight into the player that Wooki is, what his strengths and weaknesses are and what the future might hold for this youngster. At the ripe age of 18(western years) Wooki played his first proleague match against Action and lost. This in itself was an altogether uninspiring outing and the live report thread echoed this sentiment as TL users questioned who this “random” protoss was, and how did he suck so much. It was surprising then when Wooki came out at the start of round 5 and won 2 games in a row. More surprising was that he wasn’t resorting to cheese, something that has become increasingly common to see coming from rookie protoss’ like Sky, sHy and anyppi.



In fact, Wooki has been a godsend for WeMade Fox, helping to bolster their largely failing and lackluster protoss line previously spearheaded by Pure. In the space of a few games in round 5, Wooki had cemented his place as the go-to protoss on Wemade, winning 5 of his next 6 games after his initial loss and in particular slaying a good many Zergs, again an unexpected trait in a fresh faced protoss rookie, for whom PvZ is considered by far the hardest matchup to master. As of the writing of this article, Wooki is 7 wins and 5 losses in proleague, which is extremely good considering some of the high caliber opponents he’s run into, including Horang2 and Bisu.

While his stats aren’t amazing compared to the top players, it is not uncommon for nerves to play a part in losses early on in a rookie’s career and in this case it is no different. Looking at a breakdown in his stats, his PvT is largely untested, with a single game and win against Leta, but has showed a lot of promise in the matchup. His PvP has been fairly solid, going 2-2 in the matchup, with his losses coming against Horang2 and Bisu, who are no slouches in the matchup. His PvZ is the real standout however, going 4-3 when it is extremely uncommon for rookies to have a positive winrate in the matchup.



The real testament to Wooki’s skill however, is the trust that his team has in him. Not only has he been getting fielded regularly into proleague, he was even granted an ace match against the best team in the competition, SKT T1. While he didn’t win, it says a lot as to his performance in practice if the coach is satisfied sending him out over players like Roro, Shine, Baby and Mind. So is Wooki the protoss savior that Wemade Fox so desperately needs, or is he just another bright spark that is going to drop off the horizon once it burns off?







+ Show Spoiler [Brief PvT Battle Report] +

Wooki P11 vs Leta T5



The game opens up with a PvT on La Mancha. Wooki opens up with a standard 1 gate, core and makes a zealot to scout/harass while Leta opens up with a factory tech build. Wookie builds 3 dragoons and drops a nexus while Leta amasses marines, 2 tanks and attempts to push with vulture mines upgraded.



Dragoons imba



Leta expands behind his push as Wooki holds off the attack with exceptional micro destroying all but one tank which then retreats as Leta shelters behind mines. Wooki then rushes for a DT drop by delaying his observers. The DT’s are unable to do significant damaged because leta gets a turret up by Wooki does what damage he can by forcing a factory to lift and destroying a supply depot.



I see you!



Wooki goes for arbiter tech while expanding and setting up a good spread of observers so he has complete information of Leta’s actions. Wooki’s bases are all protected by dragoons and pylon walls, skimping on cannons to squeeze out as many units as possible. Meanwhile Leta Lands his third command centre and Wooki drops his own fourth at the same time. Wooki then uses his DT’s from the beginning of the game to delay this expansion and waste Leta’s scans.



You shall not mine!



Leta begins his push and Wooki expertly uses the map architecture to delay the push as he gets enough macro and tech online properly. His arbiter comes out just in time along with zealot speed and allows him to crush the push before Leta can inflict more damage than a few probe kills.



You shall not push!



Wooki sees Leta attempting to take a fourth base after this and goes for the killing blow while incorporating some templar into his army. Leta’s army is decimated but he just holds on thanks to Wooki not using shuttles for his templar and losing a few before they can storm. Leta holds on for a while, but Wooki is in such a lead this time only serves to make Leta look like he is doing a tribute to fantasy, until finally the GG comes.

The game opens up with a PvT on La Mancha. Wooki opens up with a standard 1 gate, core and makes a zealot to scout/harass while Leta opens up with a factory tech build. Wookie builds 3 dragoons and drops a nexus while Leta amasses marines, 2 tanks and attempts to push with vulture mines upgraded.Leta expands behind his push as Wooki holds off the attack with exceptional micro destroying all but one tank which then retreats as Leta shelters behind mines. Wooki then rushes for a DT drop by delaying his observers. The DT’s are unable to do significant damaged because leta gets a turret up by Wooki does what damage he can by forcing a factory to lift and destroying a supply depot.Wooki goes for arbiter tech while expanding and setting up a good spread of observers so he has complete information of Leta’s actions. Wooki’s bases are all protected by dragoons and pylon walls, skimping on cannons to squeeze out as many units as possible. Meanwhile Leta Lands his third command centre and Wooki drops his own fourth at the same time. Wooki then uses his DT’s from the beginning of the game to delay this expansion and waste Leta’s scans.Leta begins his push and Wooki expertly uses the map architecture to delay the push as he gets enough macro and tech online properly. His arbiter comes out just in time along with zealot speed and allows him to crush the push before Leta can inflict more damage than a few probe kills.Wooki sees Leta attempting to take a fourth base after this and goes for the killing blow while incorporating some templar into his army. Leta’s army is decimated but he just holds on thanks to Wooki not using shuttles for his templar and losing a few before they can storm. Leta holds on for a while, but Wooki is in such a lead this time only serves to make Leta look like he is doing a tribute to fantasy, until finally the GG comes.

Looking at Wooki’s PvT it’s clear to see that he is extremely comfortable in the matchup. Most rookie’s going up against a big name player in their first ever PvT would be tempted to try some kind of cheese. Wooki on the other hand was happy to play completely straight up. He displayed that not only can he make the correct decisions but that his macro and micro are completely up to scratch. For those who don’t know, Leta’s build of a strong FD is designed to completely eliminate the expansion nexus of a protoss who goes 1 gate FE. Wooki’s micro was sufficient enough however to hold this off and gave him a good lead in the game.



Another interesting aspect of Wooki’s PvT is his willingness to play an arbiter based build. Of late, PvT’s on constricted maps like La Mancha have been most commonly centred around carrier builds, mostly 3 base carrier to try and take advantage of the terrain to slowly overwhelm the terran with carriers. Instead Wooki was comfortable in his army and arbiter control and showed that protoss can win just as easily with it. He was decisive throughout, maintaining map control and being extremely aggressive and not letting Leta macro up the all too common death ball off 3 bases. He made Leta look completely out of his depth, which is something that really shows what a talented player he is, as Leta is one of the ace players for CJ.







+ Show Spoiler [Brief PvP Battle Report] +

Wooki P11 vs Horang2 P5



The game opens up as a PvP on Circuit Breaker. Both Horang2 and Wooki perform the exact same build, dropping a nexus after their citadel of adun while rushing DT’s with 2 cannons. This puts Wooki in the position of playing a completely even game against the best PvP player in BW right now. Both players then go for a storm drop. Unfortunately Wooki’s drop is scouted by a Horang2 DT and damage is avoided, while Horang2’s drop comes as a surprise and Wooki loses most of the probes at his main.



Bad day to be a probe



Horang2 then takes his advantage and expands well ahead of Wooki. At this point Wooki is at a severe economic loss compared to Horang2 and is forced to attack. Through the use of well played storms he manages to force a cancel of Horang2’s third nexus and decimates most of his army. Unfortunately Horang2 has 12 gateways online at this point and reinforces quickly and catches Wooki out of position and he loses most of his army.



Horang2 being Horang2



With both players getting their thirds up, Wooki attempts to hide an expansion while Horang2 takes a fourth at 6 oclock. Being significantly behind on gateways due to his hurt economy Wooki is at a significant disadvantage, and his hidden expo gets scouted. Horang2 then begins to roll over Wooki with superior macro and production until Wooki is forced to call the GG.

The game opens up as a PvP on Circuit Breaker. Both Horang2 and Wooki perform the exact same build, dropping a nexus after their citadel of adun while rushing DT’s with 2 cannons. This puts Wooki in the position of playing a completely even game against the best PvP player in BW right now. Both players then go for a storm drop. Unfortunately Wooki’s drop is scouted by a Horang2 DT and damage is avoided, while Horang2’s drop comes as a surprise and Wooki loses most of the probes at his main.Horang2 then takes his advantage and expands well ahead of Wooki. At this point Wooki is at a severe economic loss compared to Horang2 and is forced to attack. Through the use of well played storms he manages to force a cancel of Horang2’s third nexus and decimates most of his army. Unfortunately Horang2 has 12 gateways online at this point and reinforces quickly and catches Wooki out of position and he loses most of his army.With both players getting their thirds up, Wooki attempts to hide an expansion while Horang2 takes a fourth at 6 oclock. Being significantly behind on gateways due to his hurt economy Wooki is at a significant disadvantage, and his hidden expo gets scouted. Horang2 then begins to roll over Wooki with superior macro and production until Wooki is forced to call the GG.

While Wooki’s PvP record isn’t quite as stellar as his PvT or PvZ, there are still a lot of positives to his play. He’s had the misfortune of running into some really talented players like Bisu and Horang2 and taking down these superstars of the matchup was a little too much for the rookie, but looking at the Horang2 game it is clear that he has much potential. His use of Storm in battles for surpassed that of Horang2’s, and his general battle micro and positioning were for the most part top notch.



It was unfortunate that he took so much damage from the storm drop and that his own storm drop was spotted or the game could’ve been extremely different, and the fact that while being outproduced by Horang2 he still managed to make the game extremely close is a testament to his skill. In time, Wooki should be able to show some real promise in the matchup that he currently struggles in slightly.







+ Show Spoiler [Brief PvZ Battle Report] +

Wooki P4 vs Hyun Z12



The game opens up as a PvZ on Neo Aztec. Hyun opt’s for an overpool, while Wooki neglects to scout after pylon and goes straight for a 12 nexus build. Hyun only makes 2 lings to chase of the scout and doesn’t attempt to do damage with early zerglings against Wooki’s greedy build order.



12 nex, the master build



Hyun goes for a standard 3 hatch spire into 5 hatch build while Wooki pressures with zealots to force extra sunkens and starts amassing corsairs. Hyun makes his fourth base and continues to make spores and sunkens behind his sim city in his natural expansions.



You might think this is sunken defence



Wooki then drops a quick robotics facility and goes for a DT drop supported by his corsair count which destroys Hyun’s 4th base. During this time Wooki takes the opportunity to expand to the inner expo to claim a third gas. Hyun continues to make even more sunkens while Wooki avoids them and DT drops his main instead. Hyun loses almost all the drones to get a spore and sunken colony up. However the sunken is out of range and Wooki procedes to kill almost all the drones in the main again.



Dt’s…they’re pretty good



Wooki starts his fourth base as he gets some reavers out. His sair count is too much for Hyun to take head on so as he goes to attack Hyun’s natural his fourth is attacked by mutalisks. Wooki decides to attack and sacs the natural with his reaver, archon and zealot army while his sairs destroy the mutalisks that Hyun brings back to try and defend.



Sairs, pretty good also



While Wooki is destroying Hyun’s main base, Hyun’s hidden expo at 11 oclock is scouted and summarily destroyed. Hyun attempts to counter Wooki’s fourth but is denied by cannons and a final DT drop on Hyun’s original fourth forces Hyun to one mining base and he taps out.

The game opens up as a PvZ on Neo Aztec. Hyun opt’s for an overpool, while Wooki neglects to scout after pylon and goes straight for a 12 nexus build. Hyun only makes 2 lings to chase of the scout and doesn’t attempt to do damage with early zerglings against Wooki’s greedy build order.Hyun goes for a standard 3 hatch spire into 5 hatch build while Wooki pressures with zealots to force extra sunkens and starts amassing corsairs. Hyun makes his fourth base and continues to make spores and sunkens behind his sim city in his natural expansions.Wooki then drops a quick robotics facility and goes for a DT drop supported by his corsair count which destroys Hyun’s 4th base. During this time Wooki takes the opportunity to expand to the inner expo to claim a third gas. Hyun continues to make even more sunkens while Wooki avoids them and DT drops his main instead. Hyun loses almost all the drones to get a spore and sunken colony up. However the sunken is out of range and Wooki procedes to kill almost all the drones in the main again.Wooki starts his fourth base as he gets some reavers out. His sair count is too much for Hyun to take head on so as he goes to attack Hyun’s natural his fourth is attacked by mutalisks. Wooki decides to attack and sacs the natural with his reaver, archon and zealot army while his sairs destroy the mutalisks that Hyun brings back to try and defend.While Wooki is destroying Hyun’s main base, Hyun’s hidden expo at 11 oclock is scouted and summarily destroyed. Hyun attempts to counter Wooki’s fourth but is denied by cannons and a final DT drop on Hyun’s original fourth forces Hyun to one mining base and he taps out.

Wooki’s PvZ is seemingly his best matchup. Does this mean Wooki could be the next Kim Taek Yong? Perhaps. In his dismantling of Hyun, Wooki showed us that his multitask is exceptional. A lot of protoss are content to sit back and let a Zerg macro up and simply try and break the sunken lines only to be destroyed by a big muta/scourge attack. Wooki tailored his build to avoid these defences and that shows that his preparation is top notch. Every single decision he made was influenced by Hyun’s past games and he made Hyun look like the rookie, as he destroyed him with multi pronged harass while keeping air control throughout the whole game.



Not only this, Wooki was playing extremely safe while expanding, knowing that while he was putting on pressure he could expand as Hyun would be forced to defend. Once Hyun had managed to stabilize the game was already over as Wooki had taken full advantage of his harass to reach a massive economic lead so he could easily run over Hyun. Once again Wooki didn’t feel the need to cheese against a more experienced player, which is a common sight to see from rookie protoss. It is clear he’s extremely confident in his own skill in the matchup that he can play a macro game and not be at a disadvantage even with the inherent imbalance in the matchup.







It’s obvious to see that Wooki is more than just another rookie. His play suggests a confidence and experience far beyond his mere 12 games in the Shinan Bank Proleague. He has most excellent micro and most importantly his strategy and decision making are top notch. He shows in his games that his preparation is extensive, and this component of his gameplay is likely to help him out considerably if he is able to make it far in a starleague and is required to play a BOX series. He’s already shown that he has the trust of his coach and team, the people most likely to be able to judge his skill. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see more of Wooki in the future and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we can expect great things!



Wooki Hwaiting! Wooki Hwaiting!

year of atrocities out of context would have made some sense, but this pattern had repeated itself for almost a decade.



"No matter," the General grunted, "let’s leave the philosophizing about this war to the great thinkers in the Kings’ elite Sanctioned Post-conflict Agency." The battle lines were already in place, more or less, and if there had been any time to think about what was to come in the next few weeks, it had come and gone.





Gathering of the Dark Powers

While the heavily entrenched SKT Empire was already gloating about their self-proclaimed victory, the CJ Republic marched on to besiege them. This upcoming battle would not decide anything, the General knew, but the two warring sides were hellbent on having it anyway in preparation for the final siege which would decide everything.





NOBODY expects the CJ inquisition!

They were soon to curse their own foolishness, as 4 fresh armies had been waiting for such a display of arrogance. Only one could survive here, as there were few resources left, but the War just had to be won.





The power of the horde!

From the plains came the Horde of KHAN. Their ranks were filled with soldiers barely old enough to know how to shave, yet the general knew all too well what they were capable of under the command of their experienced leaders. Many armies had underestimated them previously and paid the price. Now they had come to claim what they thought they had earned. "Over my dead body." would be the only response they'd get from him.





I'm a bird in a tank. Your argument is invalid.

.

The generals own forces, flying the star-banner, would approach the resource nodes from the west. The Star Federation would depend on an established structure and heavy hitters, but each engagement would need to be calculated and well planned to achieve over-all victory, as his forces were relatively few in number. They had been trained for this day, but no amount of preparation can take away that creeping feeling that more should have been done. Maybe some last minute drills just to make sure? No, they had more important things to do. He approached his makeshift excuse for a desk, and for the first time that day, he smiled.





Say hello to my not-so-little friend, the Ultimate Weapon.

Finally the radio message arrived informing him that the perimeter to the north was secure. The extensive encrypted chatter made it apparent that the KT Protectorate was planning to take their revenge for the last war they had lost to the SKT Empire. Stories of their Ultimate Weapon were enough to make even the most experienced of his soldiers uneasy. The Protectorate had seen better times, but if carefully dispatched, they would have enough firepower to take down the entire country, let alone his forces. Underestimating them would be an unforgivable mistake. Something told him he would have to test his mettle against them soon, but when or where, he did not know.





You don't know who we are yet, but we mean business.

Finally, from the Southern Sea, a fourth force would land. Would it be the army of the Tyrant? The eccentric FOX Confederacy? Or even the STX Maritime Empire? It didn’t matter, as long as he didn’t have to face the first attack. He could observe from the distance and then adjust his tactics accordingly. However, he had his own battles to fight before he would face these opponents, and his forces would have to survive. General Swanized took a last look at the tactical map and wrote down the orders that would need to be distributed the next morning. The war for Gwanganri was about to end, but the war for Shanghai was just beginning...



It appeared ridiculous to the general. Aof atrocities out of context would have made some sense, but this pattern had repeated itself for almost a"No matter," the General grunted, "let’s leave the philosophizing about this war to thein the Kings’ elite Sanctioned Post-conflict Agency." The battle lines were already in place, more or less, and if there had been any time to think about what was to come in the next few weeks, it had come and gone.While the heavily entrenched SKT Empire was already gloating about their self-proclaimed victory, the CJ Republic marched on to besiege them. This upcoming battle would not decide anything, the General knew, but the two warring sides were hellbent on having it anyway in preparation for the final siege which would decide everything.They were soon to curse their own foolishness, as 4 fresh armies had been waiting for such a display of arrogance. Only one could survive here, as there were few resources left, but the War just had to be won.From the plains came the Horde of KHAN. Their ranks were filled with soldiers barely old enough to know how to shave, yet the general knew all too well what they were capable of under the command of their experienced leaders. Many armies had underestimated them previously and paid the price. Now they had come to claim what they thought they had earned. "Over my dead body." would be the only response they'd get from him.The generals own forces, flying the star-banner, would approach the resource nodes from the west. The Star Federation would depend on an established structure and heavy hitters, but each engagement would need to be calculated and well planned to achieve over-all victory, as his forces were relatively few in number. They had been trained for this day, but no amount of preparation can take away that creeping feeling that more should have been done. Maybe some last minute drills just to make sure? No, they had more important things to do. He approached his makeshift excuse for a desk, and for the first time that day, he smiled.Finally the radio message arrived informing him that the perimeter to the north was secure. The extensive encrypted chatter made it apparent that the KT Protectorate was planning to take their revenge for the last war they had lost to the SKT Empire. Stories of their Ultimate Weapon were enough to make even the most experienced of his soldiers uneasy. The Protectorate had seen better times, but if carefully dispatched, they would have enough firepower to take down the entire country, let alone his forces. Underestimating them would be an unforgivable mistake. Something told him he would have to test his mettle against them soon, but when or where, he did not know.Finally, from the Southern Sea, a fourth force would land. Would it be the army of the Tyrant? The eccentric FOX Confederacy? Or even the STX Maritime Empire? It didn’t matter, as long as he didn’t have to face the first attack. He could observe from the distance and then adjust his tactics accordingly. However, he had his own battles to fight before he would face these opponents, and his forces would have to survive. General Swanized took a last look at the tactical map and wrote down the orders that would need to be distributed the next morning. The war for Gwanganri was about to end, but the war for Shanghai was just beginning...







Saturday, the 2nd of July



Woongjin Stars vs KT Rolster

on OnGameNet



I bet some of you are going to be disappointed after this one is over. Why? Because both teams are likely to rest their main lineups for the coming playoffs, since they have nothing more to lose and have even hinted at such in post game interviews. Flash in particular needs a rest for his wrist, KT rookies need some practice, and if Woongjin gives a similar performance to the one they had vs. CJ, then they’re just not going to make their first playoffs exciting. Barely defeating CJ’s B-team lineup with your A-team selection? For shame, Woongjin. Because I’m already used to giving horrible crapshoot predictions, I’ll say KT wins this 4-2, but I can only guess what sort of lulz they’re going for.





MBCGame HERO vs Air Force ACE

on MBCGame



Will ACE continue to own? Will MBC field Ruby? Will Jaehoon fill his desired win Quota? I wish I had more questions, but this is just not a very exciting match compared to the ones that are still coming up. Still, I’d recommend watching this over Stars vs. KT, just so you can dream about the day that ACE will enter playoffs. If they have another round such as this, they very well might have a good shot next year. As for now, ACE is looking strong and determined, while MBC looks tired and overworked. Hence I predict a 4-3 ACE, with Jaehoon snagging a win and Sea dismantling Canata’s cheese handily to make mostly everyone happy.



Sunday, the 3rd of July



Hwaseung OZ vs Samsung KHAN

on OnGameNet



Is everything over for OZ? It seems that way, but if they’ll go out, they should at least go out with a bang. Their fans deserve the teams very best effort as long as there is hope, no matter how small. Most OZ fans are putting some hope on the OZ Protoss rookies, and Killer and HiyA show very impressive plays at random times, so a win is very well possible. Jaedong coming out of his small slump should help immensely if it gets to an ACE match. Luckily for OZ, KHAN will likely not send their A-teamers, but even KHAN’s B-team looks very formidable lately. If January is reading this, I am expressing hope that Great gets to play, since this is his best chance at rebounding, and KHAN has recently gotten the "worst Zerg line" title from SKT to provoke him into action. It’s sad to not see a former Ace on the lineup. All things considered, I’m thinking (and hoping) that OZ will end the regular season with a 4-2 win.



WeMade FOX vs STX SouL

On MBCGame



This is likely the moment of truth for the teams ardent supporters. If STX wins, it’s as good as over for WeMade FOX. If FOX wins, it’s definitely over for STX. It is hard to tell who is in better form, since both teams are constantly alternating between seemingly solid and falling apart. Want an example? STX vs. ACE and WMF vs. SKT from this very round. There are few constant performers – Bogus for STX, and Mind for FOX. Shuttle and Roro alternate from forms that give Flash a challenge to "WTF was that." Baby and Calm show glimpses of their past glory, but honestly, you wouldn’t bet your lifesavings on either of those. Modesty and Wooki show potential for greatness, yet aren’t always dependable. And I don’t even want to go into Kal and Pure. These teams deserve each other, for better or for worse. The better team will win, and only STX fanboyism makes me vote STX 4-3. If I could afford to be rational about this, I’d have flipped a coin instead.



Monday, the 4th of July



CJ Entus vs SK Telecom T1

On MBCGame



CJ Entus against SK Telecom T1. If you’ve read my previews for previous weeks and didn’t think I was a complete buffoon, you should be extremely hyped about this. Hell, even if you do think I’m an idiot, you should be hyped about this. Both teams look nearly unstoppable, and both teams are definitely gunning for the Gold. Judging from the way things currently look, this is shaping up to be a preview of the Proleague finals. The only downside to this match is that the positions won’t change either way, the only question is whether or not SKT will get another undefeated round or not. Will both bring their A-game? Likely not. Are their B-teams enough of a spectacle to warrant a very hyped match? I dare say yes. Will the winning teams fanboys be very annoying again? Let’s hope not. 4-2 CJ, because I think the SKT rookies will be sniped uncannily in their worst matchups.



Tuesday, 5th of July



Woongjin Stars vs WeMade FOX

On OnGameNet



Here’s a quick prediction: FOX will win this. Whether or not this match matters, they will likely give it their all, and Stars is likely to play it in a relaxed way. I’m not certain what to make of the WeMade FOX disbandment rumors, but whether they are true or not, the fact that they exist should make WeMade perform as well as they can for as long as they can. 4-1 FOX.



Samsung KHAN vs Air Force ACE

On MBCGame



Rookies vs. Veterans could end up either way, but the beatdown of ACE would make KHAN a much, much stronger looking team in the Playoffs. A victory against ACE is no longer a thing to take for granted – Iris, FBH and PianO in particular should be hard to beat, and the former Samsung Toss M18M should have a few surprises in store for his young KHAN brothers. I see this being close, and going 4-3 to ACE. I bet some of you are going to be disappointed after this one is over. Why? Because both teams are likely to rest their main lineups for the coming playoffs, since they have nothing more to lose and have even hinted at such in post game interviews. Flash in particular needs a rest for his wrist, KT rookies need some practice, and if Woongjin gives a similar performance to the one they had vs. CJ, then they’re just not going to make their first playoffs exciting. Barely defeating CJ’s B-team lineup with your A-team selection? For shame, Woongjin. Because I’m already used to giving horrible crapshoot predictions, I’ll say, but I can only guess what sort of lulz they’re going for.Will ACE continue to own? Will MBC field Ruby? Will Jaehoon fill his desired win Quota? I wish I had more questions, but this is just not a very exciting match compared to the ones that are still coming up. Still, I’d recommend watching this over Stars vs. KT, just so you can dream about the day that ACE will enter playoffs. If they have another round such as this, they very well might have a good shot next year. As for now, ACE is looking strong and determined, while MBC looks tired and overworked. Hence I predict a, with Jaehoon snagging a win and Sea dismantling Canata’s cheese handily to make mostly everyone happy.Is everything over for OZ? It seems that way, but if they’ll go out, they should at least go out with a bang. Their fans deserve the teams very best effort as long as there is hope, no matter how small. Most OZ fans are putting some hope on the OZ Protoss rookies, and Killer and HiyA show very impressive plays at random times, so a win is very well possible. Jaedong coming out of his small slump should help immensely if it gets to an ACE match. Luckily for OZ, KHAN will likely not send their A-teamers, but even KHAN’s B-team looks very formidable lately. If January is reading this, I am expressing hope that Great gets to play, since this is his best chance at rebounding, and KHAN has recently gotten the "worst Zerg line" title from SKT to provoke him into action. It’s sad to not see a former Ace on the lineup. All things considered, I’m thinking (and hoping) thatwill end the regular season with awin.This is likely the moment of truth for the teams ardent supporters. If STX wins, it’s as good as over for WeMade FOX. If FOX wins, it’s definitely over for STX. It is hard to tell who is in better form, since both teams are constantly alternating between seemingly solid and falling apart. Want an example? STX vs. ACE and WMF vs. SKT from this very round. There are few constant performers – Bogus for STX, and Mind for FOX. Shuttle and Roro alternate from forms that give Flash a challenge to "WTF was that." Baby and Calm show glimpses of their past glory, but honestly, you wouldn’t bet your lifesavings on either of those. Modesty and Wooki show potential for greatness, yet aren’t always dependable. And I don’t even want to go into Kal and Pure. These teams deserve each other, for better or for worse. The better team will win, and only STX fanboyism makes me vote. If I could afford to be rational about this, I’d have flipped a coin instead.CJ Entus against SK Telecom T1. If you’ve read my previews for previous weeks and didn’t think I was a complete buffoon, you should be extremely hyped about this. Hell, even if you do think I’m an idiot, you should be hyped about this. Both teams look nearly unstoppable, and both teams are definitely gunning for the Gold. Judging from the way things currently look, this is shaping up to be a preview of the Proleague finals. The only downside to this match is that the positions won’t change either way, the only question is whether or not SKT will get another undefeated round or not. Will both bring their A-game? Likely not. Are their B-teams enough of a spectacle to warrant a very hyped match? I dare say yes. Will the winning teams fanboys be very annoying again? Let’s hope not., because I think the SKT rookies will be sniped uncannily in their worst matchups.Here’s a quick prediction: FOX will win this. Whether or not this match matters, they will likely give it their all, and Stars is likely to play it in a relaxed way. I’m not certain what to make of the WeMade FOX disbandment rumors, but whether they are true or not, the fact that they exist should make WeMade perform as well as they can for as long as they can.Rookies vs. Veterans could end up either way, but the beatdown of ACE would make KHAN a much, much stronger looking team in the Playoffs. A victory against ACE is no longer a thing to take for granted – Iris, FBH and PianO in particular should be hard to beat, and the former Samsung Toss M18M should have a few surprises in store for his young KHAN brothers. I see this being close, and going

Well that does it for this week. I hope you enjoyed the Week Four writeup. Be sure to tune in later tonight for Stars vs KT and MBC vs Ace, and drop by next week for more SPL goodness. We'll keep the light on for you.