“March Madness”

GSL March Preview

Code A Previews and Predictions

Day One

By Hot_Bid

+ Show Spoiler [Day One Players and Analysis] +

vs SlayerS_LegalMind



Losira was one of the top Zergs on the Korean ladder when he lost to Liquid'TLO 0-2 back in the first GSL in September 2010. Today, he's still one of the top Zergs on the Korean ladder, but was conspicuously absent from the GSL until the Code A qualifiers at the end of January. There, he defeated his teammate IMYoda to get here. A player on the rise, Losira performed well (2-2) in the February GSTL, contributing to Incredible Miracle's eventual win.



LegalMind's SC2 career started out relatively promising, finishing in the Ro16 for GSL1 and prompting a flurry of law-related jokes from the TL GSL coverage team. Since then, he qualified for both the GSL2 and GSL Code S March, but exited early to Leenock and MKP.WE. He also dropped both Up-Down matches, and was relegated to fighting for his life in Code A. Despite joining Boxer's team SlayerS, it seems LegalMind's days as a Code S Protoss are behind him.



Prediction: Losira will likely do well on Xel'Naga but may struggle on the two larger maps against elite Protoss. Fortunately for him, LegalMind is not in that tier, and he should take the series.



vs LonerPrime.WE

We know very little about August from his results, and even less about his TvT. He's only played one series, losing to LiveForever, and that was back in September. He did not appear for Startale in the GSTL, even though they sent three Terrans out against Incredible Miracle, which does say something about how his team views his level relative to lesser known Ts (at the time) like Virus and Bomber.



China's Loner had quite a successful debut in GSL2, winning two rounds before running into BoxeR in the Ro16. Since then, we've seen very little of Da Yi other than four games in Code A where he lost to oGsCezanne. Loner did not appear for Prime in the GSTL, but Prime only played one match. Still, he is the consensus best player out of China and has a quite a number of capable Terrans on his team to practice with (MKP, Polt, etc).



Prediction: Difficult to call since we do not know much about either of these two players and the shape they are in now. If I had to bet my life, I'd say 2-1 Loner.



vs ST_Curious



International fans have been waiting for this match every since HuK touched down in South Korea, as this match will be HuK's broadcast debut after his tantalizingly close 1-2 loss in the finals of GSL3 qualifiers. HuK is widely considered one of the best non-Korean Protoss, qualifying for, placing high, and winning several well-known international events. Since landing in Korea we've seen very little of HuK recently besides his Top 8 finish at Assembly, where he lost 1-2 to aTn.Socke in a close PvP. However, HuK has been tearing up several ladders, reaching 4,000 points on EU in a matter of days and managing to get two accounts into the Top 5 on the Korean server at one point. He's stated that his best matchup now is PvZ, and as recently as a few months ago it was considered his worst matchup by far.



Startale's Curious has very few games official games under his belt, and most of those come from the ZOTAC Team Invitational, a tournament Startale won. Curious 3-killed a lesser known team MvP, but has yet to score a televised victory over a "big name" player. That said, he is the second best Zerg on Startale behind July, and HuK has said himself that this match will not be easy after facing Curious on the Korean ladder many times.



Prediction: This one is going to be close, but the maps (Tal'Darim, Meta, and Terminus), recent PvZ trends, and HuK's best matchup and ladder results point toward him winning 2-1.



vs ZeNEXButterflyEffect



Both of these players have very few results in official matches. TSL_Pretty (aka Posh, and Revival from SC:BW) was on a wicked loss streak against Terran, but recently beat a Terran to get into Code A. ButterflyEffect, on the other hand, qualified for both the GSL Open #2 and #3, only to be bounced out early against Zergs (FD and Moon), and barely remained in Code A, narrowly defeating LittleBoy 2-1.



Prediction: Fear the newer, rising player, and don't be too high on an older name who has less than stellar recent results. Pretty likely takes the series.

IMLosira vsLosira was one of the top Zergs on the Korean ladder when he lost to Liquid'TLO 0-2 back in the first GSL in September 2010. Today, he's still one of the top Zergs on the Korean ladder, but was conspicuously absent from the GSL until the Code A qualifiers at the end of January. There, he defeated his teammate IMYoda to get here. A player on the rise, Losira performed well (2-2) in the February GSTL, contributing to Incredible Miracle's eventual win.LegalMind's SC2 career started out relatively promising, finishing in the Ro16 for GSL1 and prompting a flurry of law-related jokes from the TL GSL coverage team. Since then, he qualified for both the GSL2 and GSL Code S March, but exited early to Leenock and MKP.WE. He also dropped both Up-Down matches, and was relegated to fighting for his life in Code A. Despite joining Boxer's team SlayerS, it seems LegalMind's days as a Code S Protoss are behind him.will likely do well on Xel'Naga but may struggle on the two larger maps against elite Protoss. Fortunately for him, LegalMind is not in that tier, and he should take the series. ST_August vsWe know very little about August from his results, and even less about his TvT. He's only played one series, losing to LiveForever, and that was back in September. He did not appear for Startale in the GSTL, even though they sent three Terrans out against Incredible Miracle, which does say something about how his team views his level relative to lesser known Ts (at the time) like Virus and Bomber.China's Loner had quite a successful debut in GSL2, winning two rounds before running into BoxeR in the Ro16. Since then, we've seen very little of Da Yi other than four games in Code A where he lost to oGsCezanne. Loner did not appear for Prime in the GSTL, but Prime only played one match. Still, he is the consensus best player out of China and has a quite a number of capable Terrans on his team to practice with (MKP, Polt, etc).Difficult to call since we do not know much about either of these two players and the shape they are in now. If I had to bet my life, I'd say 2-1 TLAF-Liquid'HuK vsInternational fans have been waiting for this match every since HuK touched down in South Korea, as this match will be HuK's broadcast debut after his tantalizingly close 1-2 loss in the finals of GSL3 qualifiers. HuK is widely considered one of the best non-Korean Protoss, qualifying for, placing high, and winning several well-known international events. Since landing in Korea we've seen very little of HuK recently besides his Top 8 finish at Assembly, where he lost 1-2 to aTn.Socke in a close PvP. However, HuK has been tearing up several ladders, reaching 4,000 points on EU in a matter of days and managing to getaccounts into the Top 5 on the Korean server at one point. He's stated that his best matchup now is PvZ, and as recently as a few months ago it was considered his worst matchup by far.Startale's Curious has very few games official games under his belt, and most of those come from the ZOTAC Team Invitational, a tournament Startale won. Curious 3-killed a lesser known team MvP, but has yet to score a televised victory over a "big name" player. That said, he is the second best Zerg on Startale behind July, and HuK has said himself that this match will not be easy after facing Curious on the Korean ladder many times.This one is going to be close, but the maps (Tal'Darim, Meta, and Terminus), recent PvZ trends, and's best matchup and ladder results point toward him winning 2-1. TSL_Pretty vsBoth of these players have very few results in official matches. TSL_Pretty (aka Posh, and Revival from SC:BW) was on a wicked loss streak against Terran, but recently beat a Terran to get into Code A. ButterflyEffect, on the other hand, qualified for both the GSL Open #2 and #3, only to be bounced out early against Zergs (FD and Moon), andremained in Code A, narrowly defeating LittleBoy 2-1.Fear the newer, rising player, and don't be too high on an older name who has less than stellar recent results.likely takes the series.



Day Two

By TrueRedemption

+ Show Spoiler [Day Two Players and Analysis] +

vs FOXMoon



The only time most fans would have heard of Virus would be a rather forgettable, quick loss to void rays in the GSTL final against Yonghwa. He has however played 12 other games for Startale in the Zotac and Brainbox team events, clearly and active member of the team for months now. This code A will be the first time for Virus in the GSL individual series, but coach Won Joong Wook confidence sending him out in the finals suggests Virus has the potential to do well this month.



Moon on the other hand is a household name, a dominant WC3 pro looking to extend his legacy into the new era that is Starcraft 2. After falling to Jinro in GSL 3. Moon fought his way to the Ro8 in January’s Code A tournament where he lost to his teammate and rival Lyn, and ultimately was unable to secure a Code S spot. Moon will only be looking to build upon this result however, and being stuck behind Lyn will no doubt only spur him to work harder. A crowd favorite as well as a strong player, anything less than Code S will be a disappointment for Moon this season.



Prediction: This could be a very entertaining match should they both play to their potential, but I anticipate Virus being uncomfortable without a team there to rely on and Moon to move on.

vs TLAF-Liquid'HayprO



No longer on IM, GanZi has still put together impressive results. In a January tournament he was able to not only 2-0 Losira, but also win a best of three against FruitDealer before losing to MarineKing. Pretty difficult to extrapolate from, but the combined lack of team, win over Fruitdealer and success qualifying for Code A in the first place insures GanZI is definitely good at something.



A man who needs no introduction, HayprO will be striving for a breakthrough on the Korean front this month. His successes in the foreigner community have been significant albeit unheralded, but a disheartening Ro64 loss to BitByBit in GSL3 seems to overshadow it all. Will this shadow be lifted as another foreigner finds their stride in Korea? Only time will tell, but you can count on one thing, Haypro won’t go down without a fight.



Prediction: It is tough to predict much when one player is an unknown without a team that beat a former GSL champion a month ago and not sound biased, GanZI simply hasn’t been around enough to know. Haypro conversely was able to navigate his GSL3 qualifier and has been working with Liquid/OGS for months, and personal fanboyism aside I believe that is significant support to predict a Haypro victory.

vs ST_Ace



CoCa will be making his first appearance in the GSL, but he hasn’t really shown much outside the GSL either. A win against RainBOw in the ZOTAC Team invite is not a bad win to have even if it is the only one recorded on TLPD, but he lost to Ace in that same event. Will this be redemption or simply history repeating itself?



Ace has had limited success in the GSL, a Ro32 victim of Kyrix’s new style of play, and a first round 1-2 loss in Code A to the eventual winner TOP. Indeed it was his performance against TSL in the recent GSTL semifinal that will be fresh in most peoples’ minds, where he battled through Clide Rain and aLive to set up the comfortable ST victory. Using this well-earned momentum Ace will hit this GSL running, and it is going to take quite an effort to stop him.



Prediction: History repeats itself, Ace has hung around the GSL for months even if he hasn’t been able to string together much to show for it, but the experience in addition to the skill shown and momentum gained in the GSTL will prove power overwhelming against CoCa.

vs LeenockfOu



YuGiOh is another player who has hovered around the GSL the past couple months. He started with a bang, defeating RainBOw in the Ro64 before losing to BitByBit the next round in GSL3, but he was able to navigate through the Code A tiebreakers until running into July in the Ro16 of Code A last month. While YuGiOh looks to be another potentially talented player looking to find his stridehe will be met with quite the test in round 1 against Leenock.



Leenock was unable to steal a spot from Genius and RainBOw this past GSL, and a disappointing up / down performance landed him in Code A despite a second chance for the wildcard spot. Memories of his series against Clide and near win against MarineKing suggest great skill, but the recent demotion may have seriously damaged the young player’s confidence. This season and this first match in particular marks a critical point where Leenock either doubles his efforts in wait for a breakthrough or is swept under the rug.



Prediction: Leenock is a fighter and I anticipate him going far this season. It is unfortunate for YuGiOh who has also been stuck floating outside the core of strong well known players, but as SC2 continues to grow the competition will only get fiercer, and Leenock is simply too skilled for YuGiOh to handle. ST_Virus vsThe only time most fans would have heard of Virus would be a rather forgettable, quick loss to void rays in the GSTL final against Yonghwa. He has however played 12 other games for Startale in the Zotac and Brainbox team events, clearly and active member of the team for months now. This code A will be the first time for Virus in the GSL individual series, but coach Won Joong Wook confidence sending him out in the finals suggests Virus has the potential to do well this month.Moon on the other hand is a household name, a dominant WC3 pro looking to extend his legacy into the new era that is Starcraft 2. After falling to Jinro in GSL 3. Moon fought his way to the Ro8 in January’s Code A tournament where he lost to his teammate and rival Lyn, and ultimately was unable to secure a Code S spot. Moon will only be looking to build upon this result however, and being stuck behind Lyn will no doubt only spur him to work harder. A crowd favorite as well as a strong player, anything less than Code S will be a disappointment for Moon this season.This could be a very entertaining match should they both play to their potential, but I anticipate Virus being uncomfortable without a team there to rely on andto move on. GanZi vsNo longer on IM, GanZi has still put together impressive results. In a January tournament he was able to not only 2-0 Losira, but also win a best of three against FruitDealer before losing to MarineKing. Pretty difficult to extrapolate from, but the combined lack of team, win over Fruitdealer and success qualifying for Code A in the first place insures GanZI is definitely good at something.A man who needs no introduction, HayprO will be striving for a breakthrough on the Korean front this month. His successes in the foreigner community have been significant albeit unheralded, but a disheartening Ro64 loss to BitByBit in GSL3 seems to overshadow it all. Will this shadow be lifted as another foreigner finds their stride in Korea? Only time will tell, but you can count on one thing, Haypro won’t go down without a fight.It is tough to predict much when one player is an unknown without a team that beat a former GSL champion a month ago and not sound biased, GanZI simply hasn’t been around enough to know. Haypro conversely was able to navigate his GSL3 qualifier and has been working with Liquid/OGS for months, and personal fanboyism aside I believe that is significant support to predict avictory. ZeNEXCoCa vsCoCa will be making his first appearance in the GSL, but he hasn’t really shown much outside the GSL either. A win against RainBOw in the ZOTAC Team invite is not a bad win to have even if it is the only one recorded on TLPD, but he lost to Ace in that same event. Will this be redemption or simply history repeating itself?Ace has had limited success in the GSL, a Ro32 victim of Kyrix’s new style of play, and a first round 1-2 loss in Code A to the eventual winner TOP. Indeed it was his performance against TSL in the recent GSTL semifinal that will be fresh in most peoples’ minds, where he battled through Clide Rain and aLive to set up the comfortable ST victory. Using this well-earned momentum Ace will hit this GSL running, and it is going to take quite an effort to stop him.History repeats itself,has hung around the GSL for months even if he hasn’t been able to string together much to show for it, but the experience in addition to the skill shown and momentum gained in the GSTL will prove power overwhelming against CoCa. SlayerS_YuGiOh vsYuGiOh is another player who has hovered around the GSL the past couple months. He started with a bang, defeating RainBOw in the Ro64 before losing to BitByBit the next round in GSL3, but he was able to navigate through the Code A tiebreakers until running into July in the Ro16 of Code A last month. While YuGiOh looks to be another potentially talented player looking to find his stridehe will be met with quite the test in round 1 against Leenock.Leenock was unable to steal a spot from Genius and RainBOw this past GSL, and a disappointing up / down performance landed him in Code A despite a second chance for the wildcard spot. Memories of his series against Clide and near win against MarineKing suggest great skill, but the recent demotion may have seriously damaged the young player’s confidence. This season and this first match in particular marks a critical point where Leenock either doubles his efforts in wait for a breakthrough or is swept under the rug.is a fighter and I anticipate him going far this season. It is unfortunate for YuGiOh who has also been stuck floating outside the core of strong well known players, but as SC2 continues to grow the competition will only get fiercer, and Leenock is simply too skilled for YuGiOh to handle.



Day Three

By palookieblue

+ Show Spoiler [Day Three Players and Analysis] + vs Yeah



Rain finds himself knocked out of Code S after an uninspiring performance in the last season. Going from Finalist to Code material can't have gone down well, and he'll be eager to prove that he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Rain hasn't had the easiest of times against Zerg lately, falling to July, Moon and Nestea all within the last two months. For someone who was once considered a Top-5 Terran, the expectations for this match should be clear.

The surprise packet for the day's play is the zerg player Yeah, who we haven't seen much of yet. He is the only GSL participant to be married. Although he has practiced with Junwi and NesTea, he is currently teamless. If he wants teams to fight over signing him, this may be his chance. Whether he can hold the trademark early aggression from his Terran opponent is yet to be seen.



Prediction: While he hasn't displayed his best play recently, Rain should prove too solid for Yeah. With TvZ being Rain's strong matchup, the unknown Zerg will have to pull out something extraordinary. Being a predictable player has its downsides, however, and Yeah may try something tricky which could turn this match on it's head.

vs ZeNEXDestination



The sole foreign invitee in this group of eight is none other than the Australian hero FXOmOOnGLaDe. The former WC3 and BW veteran will be hoping to make deep inroads into Code A to justify his credentials and selection. Fresh from his victory against Loner in the IEM Season V, he'll have to replicate his slick play to reach the business end of Code A. Destination has been busy in the ZOTAC invitational and the GSL Team Leagues for ZeNEX. He's proved a solid pick, going 3-1 against the SlayerS team. He'll be hungry to make it into the up-and-down stages after his loss to another Zerg, Check, in GSL3.



Prediction: mOOnGLaDe has been giving SEA fans something to cheer about with strong showings in recent tourneys. Destination will be a tough opponent, but the fanatic Australian within me believes GLaDe has the experience and skills to take this. That being said, with both players having enormous potential, I would not be surprised if this swung either way. Ultimately GLaDe's reactionary handling of ZvT is very solid and should serve him well here.

vs SlayerS_Alicia



There was much attention when the emperor himself announced a new team: Slayers. Alicia is one of the handpicked talents that made it through, and we all know BoxeR's knack for identifying talent. Alicia has shown he can PvP with the best, with recent wins over Code A favourites ST_Ace and Squirtle, but how good is his PvZ?

Junwi is another player who has (so far) untapped potential. He's been kept out of Code S by decent Protoss players such as Banbanssu and GuineaPig. Only 3 wins from his previous 10 competitive games would certainly not be what he or his team expected. His strong performances on the ladder will count for little if he can't bring his A-game to the big leagues.



Prediction: Neither player has shown anything to deserve the 'favourite' tag in this series. Junwi has had a appalling time against Protoss so far, and Alicia looks far from confident in the matchup. However, Junwi should be feeling confident following the IM Team League victory and his election as the president of the players' association. One thinks he can finally perform to the standard his much-lauded teammates believe he is at.

vs MakaPrime.WE



Similar to TSL_Rain, Maka has been in a slight rut as of late. Popular opinion of players and fans was that Maka was a solid semifinal prospect and if he upped the ante, a genuine contender. Since his loss against eventual season 2 winner Nestea, his record has been patchy at best. The series against Fruitdealer and Polt were baffling to audiences. Maka seemed to be away at sea.



His opponent MvP_Dog recently hopped over from the fOu team, and is the sole representative of his new team in either Code A/S. While playing in the ZOTAC invitational he posted wins against imposing opposition including Puzzle and Losira. He should be feeling confident in his TvT skills after also overcoming two code S players: Ensnare and Hyperdub in the very same tournament.



Prediction: 'MvPWho?' Yeah, don't worry, I had to do some research on him too. Name value means nothing here though. This series is in the hands of fan favourite Maka. If he conjures up the type of play which brought him to the Ro8 and Ro16 of previous GSLs, this should be a straightforward procession. However his recent play has been extremely underwhelming, and with TvT being his statistically weakest matchup, he could be in real trouble here. So, who will turn up? The innovative and crisp Maka or the aimless and confused Maka? Recent results indicate the latter, while Dog has an impressive recent kill list to his name. TSL_Rain vsRain finds himself knocked out of Code S after an uninspiring performance in the last season. Going from Finalist to Code material can't have gone down well, and he'll be eager to prove that he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Rain hasn't had the easiest of times against Zerg lately, falling to July, Moon and Nestea all within the last two months. For someone who was once considered a Top-5 Terran, the expectations for this match should be clear.The surprise packet for the day's play is the zerg player Yeah, who we haven't seen much of yet. He is the only GSL participant to be married. Although he has practiced with Junwi and NesTea, he is currently teamless. If he wants teams to fight over signing him, this may be his chance. Whether he can hold the trademark early aggression from his Terran opponent is yet to be seen.While he hasn't displayed his best play recently,should prove too solid for Yeah. With TvZ being Rain's strong matchup, the unknown Zerg will have to pull out something extraordinary. Being a predictable player has its downsides, however, and Yeah may try something tricky which could turn this match on it's head. FXOmOOnGLaDe vsThe sole foreign invitee in this group of eight is none other than the Australian hero FXOmOOnGLaDe. The former WC3 and BW veteran will be hoping to make deep inroads into Code A to justify his credentials and selection. Fresh from his victory against Loner in the IEM Season V, he'll have to replicate his slick play to reach the business end of Code A. Destination has been busy in the ZOTAC invitational and the GSL Team Leagues for ZeNEX. He's proved a solid pick, going 3-1 against the SlayerS team. He'll be hungry to make it into the up-and-down stages after his loss to another Zerg, Check, in GSL3.has been giving SEA fans something to cheer about with strong showings in recent tourneys. Destination will be a tough opponent, but the fanatic Australian within me believes GLaDe has the experience and skills to take this. That being said, with both players having enormous potential, I would not be surprised if this swung either way. Ultimately GLaDe's reactionary handling of ZvT is very solid and should serve him well here. IMJunwi vsThere was much attention when the emperor himself announced a new team: Slayers. Alicia is one of the handpicked talents that made it through, and we all know BoxeR's knack for identifying talent. Alicia has shown he can PvP with the best, with recent wins over Code A favourites ST_Ace and Squirtle, but how good is his PvZ?Junwi is another player who has (so far) untapped potential. He's been kept out of Code S by decent Protoss players such as Banbanssu and GuineaPig. Only 3 wins from his previous 10 competitive games would certainly not be what he or his team expected. His strong performances on the ladder will count for little if he can't bring his A-game to the big leagues.Neither player has shown anything to deserve the 'favourite' tag in this series. Junwi has had a appalling time against Protoss so far, and Alicia looks far from confident in the matchup. However,should be feeling confident following the IM Team League victory and his election as the president of the players' association. One thinks he can finally perform to the standard his much-lauded teammates believe he is at. MvPDog vsSimilar to TSL_Rain, Maka has been in a slight rut as of late. Popular opinion of players and fans was that Maka was a solid semifinal prospect and if he upped the ante, a genuine contender. Since his loss against eventual season 2 winner Nestea, his record has been patchy at best. The series against Fruitdealer and Polt were baffling to audiences. Maka seemed to be away at sea.His opponent MvP_Dog recently hopped over from the fOu team, and is the sole representative of his new team in either Code A/S. While playing in the ZOTAC invitational he posted wins against imposing opposition including Puzzle and Losira. He should be feeling confident in his TvT skills after also overcoming two code S players: Ensnare and Hyperdub in the very same tournament.'MvPWho?' Yeah, don't worry, I had to do some research on him too. Name value means nothing here though. This series is in the hands of fan favourite Maka. If he conjures up the type of play which brought him to the Ro8 and Ro16 of previous GSLs, this should be a straightforward procession. However his recent play has been extremely underwhelming, and with TvT being his statistically weakest matchup, he could be in real trouble here. So, who will turn up? The innovative and crisp Maka or the aimless and confused Maka? Recent results indicate the latter, whilehas an impressive recent kill list to his name.



Day Four

By Xxio

+ Show Spoiler [Day Four Players and Analysis] + vs ST_Squirtle



SuperNova and Squirtle know each other from back in their Brood War days. This past summer they met in the first round of the Summer MST Offline Preliminaries. SuperNova, who was on Woongjin Stars at the time, knocked Squirtle out, adding two more losses to the Protoss' win-less Brood War career. SuperNova also beat MC in this tournament before losing 2-1 to Modesty and 0-2 to Midas. Of course, since then Squirtle has risen to the top of the Korean StarCraft 2 ladder and the trusted position of anchor on his team StarTale. SuperNova has yet reach this level of success but this is also his first attempt to break into the GSL.



Prediction: Originally on WeRRa, Squirtle's StarCraft 2 history goes back to the BrainBox Team Invitational – he has had many more months of experience in the tournament scene than SuperNova, who is only now making his StarCraft 2 debut. Squirtle is also on a 6 game PvT win streak and as we have seen, he is more than comfortable on the new, larger maps. There is really nothing to indicate that SuperNova should win this.

vs



I'll be honest with you guys; I'm a big fan of old Brood War pros trying to make it in StarCraft 2, especially when they were good. Cezanne is one of these players. In 2004 he was knocking Assem out of tournaments and taking games from Savior and Iris. Today, however, he is a member of oGs with a dismal record in ZvT and is facing Alive from TSL, who recently defeated NesTea and Check. Cezanne has always been highly ranked on the Korean ladder but this will be a tough match for him as Alive is quite skilled.



Prediction: Alive, at least in this match up, seems a level or two ahead of Cezanne. Cezanne was losing best of 3s to Ensnare, Polt, and sC while NesTea, Check, and Ret were losing to Alive. In terms of teams, oGs provides a stellar Terran roster for Cezanne to practice with while TSL, with only two Zerg players, has FruitDealer. It is tricky to call but based on performance, I have to give the edge to Alive.

vs TLAF-Liquid`Ret



Neither of these players have a great number of games in this match up to examine, especially CchapSeungEu, who first showed up in the 2nd Zotac Team Invitational and only has one TvZ on his record. In a post-Assembly interview Ret could not recognize his opponent's name, but he did comment that “Slayers clan has some very good players” and that he is happy to face to a Terran. Though some Zergs like NesTea have expressed concerns surrounding the new map pool, the preliminary consensus seems to be that the larger maps will make ZvT more manageable, but ZvP more difficult. In light of this, I would like to quote the following: “Ret macro, Ret win.”



Prediction: If GOM was still using the old map pool this would have been a harder prediction to make, but on maps like Tal'Darim Altar and Terminus RE, I am confident in my new favourite saying, Ret macro, Ret win. Of course, close positions on Metalopolis and Lost Temple are still possible and CchapSeungEu might simply be a very good macro player, but right now I am betting on the Dutch macro machine.



vs oGsJookTo

To be blunt, if JookTo wants to beat Killer, aka SangHo, he has a lot of work to do. JookTo's macro seems as weak as it was in the first season of the GSL; there is no evidence to show that he has been improving. Killer on the other hand, once as unnotable as JookTo, has progressively taken out bigger and bigger names. In January, MKP, Check, Ace, Zenio, and TOP all fell to Killer. It can't be ignored that Killer was also an extremely skilled professional Brood War player who beat Boxer in MST prelims and Kal and Shuttle in the 2010 Winners League.



Prediction: In my opinion, a player skilled enough to be fielded in Winners League is good enough to make a deep run in the GSL. I am confident that if he puts in the time, Killer can, like MVP, become one of the very best StarCraft 2 players in the world. Against SangHo, on these maps, JookTo does not stand a chance. oGsSuperNova vsSuperNova and Squirtle know each other from back in their Brood War days. This past summer they met in the first round of the Summer MST Offline Preliminaries. SuperNova, who was on Woongjin Stars at the time, knocked Squirtle out, adding two more losses to the Protoss' win-less Brood War career. SuperNova also beat MC in this tournament before losing 2-1 to Modesty and 0-2 to Midas. Of course, since then Squirtle has risen to the top of the Korean StarCraft 2 ladder and the trusted position of anchor on his team StarTale. SuperNova has yet reach this level of success but this is also his first attempt to break into the GSL.Originally on WeRRa,'s StarCraft 2 history goes back to the BrainBox Team Invitational – he has had many more months of experience in the tournament scene than SuperNova, who is only now making his StarCraft 2 debut. Squirtle is also on a 6 game PvT win streak and as we have seen, he is more than comfortable on the new, larger maps. There is really nothing to indicate that SuperNova should win this. TSL_Alive vsI'll be honest with you guys; I'm a big fan of old Brood War pros trying to make it in StarCraft 2, especially when they were good. Cezanne is one of these players. In 2004 he was knocking Assem out of tournaments and taking games from Savior and Iris. Today, however, he is a member of oGs with a dismal record in ZvT and is facing Alive from TSL, who recently defeated NesTea and Check. Cezanne has always been highly ranked on the Korean ladder but this will be a tough match for him as Alive is quite skilled., at least in this match up, seems a level or two ahead of Cezanne. Cezanne was losing best of 3s to Ensnare, Polt, and sC while NesTea, Check, and Ret were losing to Alive. In terms of teams, oGs provides a stellar Terran roster for Cezanne to practice with while TSL, with only two Zerg players, has FruitDealer. It is tricky to call but based on performance, I have to give the edge to Alive. SlayerS_CchapSeungEu vsNeither of these players have a great number of games in this match up to examine, especially CchapSeungEu, who first showed up in the 2nd Zotac Team Invitational and only has one TvZ on his record. In a post-Assembly interview Ret could not recognize his opponent's name, but he did comment that “Slayers clan has some very good players” and that he is happy to face to a Terran. Though some Zergs like NesTea have expressed concerns surrounding the new map pool, the preliminary consensus seems to be that the larger maps will make ZvT more manageable, but ZvP more difficult. In light of this, I would like to quote the following: “Ret macro, Ret win.”If GOM was still using the old map pool this would have been a harder prediction to make, but on maps like Tal'Darim Altar and Terminus RE, I am confident in my new favourite saying,macro, Ret win. Of course, close positions on Metalopolis and Lost Temple are still possible and CchapSeungEu might simply be a very good macro player, but right now I am betting on the Dutch macro machine. TSL_Killer vsTo be blunt, if JookTo wants to beat Killer, aka SangHo, he has a lot of work to do. JookTo's macro seems as weak as it was in the first season of the GSL; there is no evidence to show that he has been improving. Killer on the other hand, once as unnotable as JookTo, has progressively taken out bigger and bigger names. In January, MKP, Check, Ace, Zenio, and TOP all fell to Killer. It can't be ignored that Killer was also an extremely skilled professional Brood War player who beat Boxer in MST prelims and Kal and Shuttle in the 2010 Winners League.In my opinion, a player skilled enough to be fielded in Winners League is good enough to make a deep run in the GSL. I am confident that if he puts in the time,can, like MVP, become one of the very best StarCraft 2 players in the world. Against SangHo, on these maps, JookTo does not stand a chance.

Uncharted Territory

A Look at the New Maps

By Divinek



Crevasse



Click on image for larger version



This map features 4 corner expansions with destructible rocks on the ramp and ones blocking access to each third. The center in this map seems to be the focal point, if someone can gain control of that with tanks or the like it will become fairly difficult to bypass with an ordinary ground army. Once the rocks have been broken down it becomes a bit easier to manage, but everything can be easily cut off from the center. This makes for interesting prospects of TvT map splits, and hopefully will encourage more air based play, even if that is only in the form of drops.



One critical feature to notice is just how easy it is to take 3 bases and then turtle into a maxed up army without any real fears of being broken. This I think is aimed at encouraging longer games but also may just support turtling into death balls. Protoss may have a field day with colossus + voidray on this map.



The mains are not that far by air, but thanks to the destructible rocks and the pathing of the middle the rush distances are a bit farther than they might seem at first glance. The fourth bases are weak on all fronts, being low in geyser and mineral count, they are also exposed to harass from the center and the other side of the rocks.



Crossfire SE



Click on image for larger version





The rush distances on this map are rather long, but you’ll probably want to bring a compass so you don’t get lost along the way. This map is basically the BW map peaks of Baekdu, and it has more than its share of pathways and bridges. The prospects for backstabs and counters seem endless when there’s always more than one way to go around the opposing army. Speaking of which this map does indeed have two entrances, but unlike Blistering Sands it’s a bit of a walk so players won’t be able to abuse this feature as easily.



Watch tower control, as always, looks like it could play an important factor all throughout the game. Looking at it you can’t go from one end of the map the other by ground and avoid detection if your opponent has control of either tower. No doubt a similar concept applies to a zerg overlord being able to keep multiple tabs from a single location



This is another map that looks like it will be all too easy to split the map with siege tanks, as one cluster can protect four bases quite easily. The pathways are narrow and numerous so it’s no doubt players will make every effort to avoid engaging the death balls here and instead engage in gorilla warfare.



Terminus RE



Click on image for larger version



16 bases seems to be a theme for this seasons new maps as ¾ contain exactly that many, but just look at how BIG this one is. This size results in very long rush distances, especially for cross map positions. Thankfully the center here is a bit more open allowing possibilities for proper flanks and more positional play. This map allows players to take a very quick and safe three bases, which seems to be primarily a benefit for protoss, as taking a forge FE is viable here, and the protoss is under less pressure to move out. At the same time, zergs may have an advantage against terran here, as they have added base-taking power, and terran pushes will need to cover much more space.



It’s kind of interesting that they decided to place the watch towers down in those dips right beside the high ground. Placing them this way makes watch tower control very interesting as each watchtower can see half of the well in which the neighboring watchtower sits. Players may need to take extra care to hide at which watchtower they're at. Another interesting feature are the lowered supply depots at the bottom of main ramps to help prevent walling.

For some reason I just can’t stop seeing a deformed battle cruiser when I look at this map.



Tal'Darim Altar



Click on image for larger version



Bases, bases, bases! Another HUGE 16 base map, not only are these bases plentiful but for the most part they are easy to take and to capture. I think someone’s definitely trying to hint at something here. I’m very excited for long macro clashes on this map, the centre is so wide open that even those players that put all their units on one hotkey shouldn’t have too much of a problem making sure all their units end up attacking something. Hopefully we'll seem some more thoughtful and better positional play instead, especially around the goal of securing the map's four important watch towers in the later stages.



There’s a refreshing concept here of a wide choke to the main, meaning one forcefield just isn’t going to cut it. Thankfully the long rush distances may act to counter-balance that weakness, but this no doubt leaves an opening for some innovative cheese. Though the largeness of this map does give one a false sense of security, in certain positions like bottom vs bottom the rush distances between natural isn’t very far at all.



One thing that’s different from every other map so far is also the number of the day! This is the number 9 (you were thinking J weren’t you). The number 9 represents how many mineral patches are in each main, every other map thus far has only had 8. What implications could this have? Well it can change all the opening builds a bit by allowing a better saturation and faster mineral intake early on. It also means players will last just that little bit extra off this single base. This will no doubt help create longer games and bigger armies, yum yum.

No Country For Old Men

Why Code A is better than Code S

By Treehugger



"If you're not practicing, just remember that someone, somewhere else is practicing. And when you two meet, he will beat you."

- Bill Bradley



There's no reason to mince words; the last season of Code A was an unmitigated disaster. The players were awful, the games were awful, and a handful of the players who got promoted were uninspiring. We had to watch BitByBitPrime try to play a macro game, someone named ZeNEXcOre play starcraft for the first time, and Loner nearly die of the bubonic plague. "Painful" doesn't begin to describe it.

But this season, the GSL is on its head. The dead weight of Code A has been unceremoniously cast away, replaced with a cast of dynamic new players eager to prove themselves. Meanwhile Code S ponderously lumbers on, cluttered and stagnant. Not only may the average Code A player be better than the average Code S player this season, but the best set of the non-qualified players might be as well. If Code A is the wild west, than Code S is it's poolside retirement community.





Pictured: Code S



Having said all that, it needs to be clarified that the very best players are still in Code S. The GSL finals are still the finals because of Mvp, MarineKing, MC, NesTea, Fruitdealer, and company. But the talent in Code S drops off steeply. This season and the last, the fundamental flaw of Code S has been exposed. Because Code S is so forgiving, weak players who earned their placement in the first couple GSL seasons are extremely hard to dislodge. Getting rolled in your initial group placement merely demotes you to the Up/Down matches, where you face an extremely favorable chance of being re-admitted back into Code S. Thus, anyproPrime returns for a second season of losing to two marauder/two marine pressure.

In contrast; Code A is an extremely volatile league. Merely losing the opening round Bo3 earns a swift demotion to the open qualifiers. There is no forgiveness built into the Code A format. It's win or go home from the beginning.

All of this has added up to Code A's advantage this season. half of the tepid field that we saw last round has been sent packing. Only one proved to be good enough to requalify. (ST_Ace). To take their place, we saw a series of hotly contested qualifiers that even superb non-ranked players like ST_Bomber or ZeNEXPuzzle were unable to overcome. Remaining are the best of the best; twelve qualifiers and four foreigners who are hungry for wins and not lacking in skill. The overall talent of Code A is immense.



Consider that two players will certainly retain their Code S status by advancing out of Group F ( choyafOu, FOXLyn, ZeNEXBanbanssu, and oGsTheWinD) but only one of ( oGsSuperNova, ST_Squirtle, TSL_aLive, and oGsCezanne) will get a chance at Code S, and two of those players will need to play through qualifiers again. That's absurd.





One of these groups looks fun to watch!



This message hit home during the GSTL. As any longtime BW fan can tell you, teamleagues have an uncanny way of bringing out the best in players. We saw again and again, with fantastic games being played by known and unknown players alike. But while we saw Code S monsters like IMMvp, IMNesTea, and oGsMC throw down brilliant performances, and closet gosus like IMSeed and IMYongHwa make huge waves, the show was stolen time and time by a player from Code A. Indeed, while teams played their Code S players nearly a majority of the time...





Who the teams sent out there...



... these players were routinely manhandled by a delegate from Code A.





Who stayed out there.



By the time the dust had settled in the GSTL, Code A players had gone 11-3 against Code S opponents. Despite being sent out nearly half as frequently as their Code S teammates, Code A players played just two fewer games, and had a winning percentage that was 39% greater.





Code Awesome.



There are a number of convincing explanations for why this occurred, and why these results aren't useful. Undoubtedly, a small sample size, the prevalence of a couple good players, the prevalence of a couple good teams, and genuine luck of the draw all may have contributed to the relative performances of each Code in the teamleague matches. I freely admit that this conclusion is equal parts conjecture as it is the analysis of data. But ultimately, those who ignore how well Code A performed on an equal stage do so at their peril. Code S players not only struggled with new builds and playstyles from Code A players, they were frequently outclassed in every respect. Moreover, Code S wasn't even represented by some of it's weakest members, who should, presumably hold an edge over the next rung down. Yet all the same, Code A participants were better at almost every turn.



The wild west metaphor I made at the beginning seems particularly apt in describing the strength of Code A. With the format alone, there should be little doubt that staying in Code A is one of the hardest feats in progaming, short only of advancing deep into tournaments. One Bo3, one unfortunate map choice, one bout of nerves, or case of cold hands can doom a player into a career of preliminaries. Sixteen excellent players will face that reality in a short time. The pressure of Code A and the practice, focus, and skill needed to overcome that this season are much greater than the cushy position of those in the Code S groups. Code S is welfare for the players who excelled when the competition was less fierce. It may take several cycles before Code S can truly swallow the best 32 players in Korea. But not so for Code A. The law of the jungle applies here. Kill or be killed. Improve, or be removed. That's why Code A is overall going to be tougher than Code S this season, and for at least a few seasons after that. Because of survival of the fittest. Because this isn't the kind of league where you can squeak by. This country's hard on people.You can't stop what's coming, and it ain't all waiting on you.



Credit to the amazing heyoka for the graphs.

Team Power Rankings—March





#1: IM With the reigning GSL champion, and fresh off a gutty team effort in the GSTL, there's seemingly no other place for Incredible Miracle but first. But IM had won the teamleague with mvp and NesTea alone, they would not have led this ranking. Instead, what was most impressive about IM's run was that their two aces were viturally non-existant until they emerged to close out the finals. Instead, IM's bench showed creativity, poise, and solid fundamentals in carrying their team to the championship.



In the last two team PR's, motbob and I have dropped IM because of their lack of any depth. That's changed now. With Losira joining Junwi in Code A, and mvp and NesTea as favorites in Code S, and Seed, Yoda, and Yonghwa confirmed to be really good, IM not only looks like the team with Sc2's best players, but also one of the deepest around. They should increase their Code S contingent by at least one this season, and should qualify more players for Code A as well. This is a team that has come into its own.



#2: oGs-Liquid' In the #1 spot for the last few months, oGs was defeated in the first round of the GSTL by IM. Yet progaming's favorite chimera still has more players in Code A and Code S than any other team, and continues to produce talent, as oGsSuperNova (aka SaiR) recently qualified for Code A. However, oGs-Liquid' has done little recently to prove that their depth can also equal tournament results. Their prevalence in Code S means nothing if they can only place two players in the final eight and one in the final four.



That means that the team's best players like MC, NaDa, TOP, and Jinro need to set their sights on nothing short of the final. The best teams produce champions, and it feels like an awfully long time since MC defeated Rain in the GSL3 finals. A lot of oGs players earned their Code S or Code A positions in the first or second GSL season, and seem to have been long ago passed in skill. I think oGs will inevitably shed some spots, and there's nothing too terrible about that, but if oGs is going to retake the top spot, they're going to have to go deeper.



#3: TSL The SCV Life might be the best-looking team, but they no longer look the scariest in the game. With just one Ro8 finisher in GSL January, and poor performances from Fruitdealer and Rain, they lost a significant amount of ground. However, the qualification of Pretty adds one to their numbers in GSL competition, and it's nothing to shrug at if seven of nine A-teamers are qualified. There's also PuMa, who joined TSL before the last qualifiers, and who gets a pass because of reputation alone.



But TSL is in the same boat as oGs, they often appear to be treading water instead of gaining ground. Their Code S players are not favorites to win, and their Code A players will need to step up their game to advance. They have no excuses, Clide's odds are fantastic in Group B, and TesteR and Fruitdealer are both in Group G. In Code A, TSL players largely drew favorable matches in the first round. If not now, then TSL will lose their reputation for being an elite Sc2 team.



#4: ST Startale and TSL are both extremely good teams and very close, but while ST ranks above TSL in terms of quantity, and beat them in the GSTL, their potential has not yet been matched by individual league success. Of the seven qualified players that either team has, TSL's squad looks to be more impressive on paper. This is not to say that I don't expect huge gains for ST in Code A, and that their GSTL run was not impressive. However, for the purposes of this GSL, their best players (Bomber and Squirtle) are not in Code S, and their representatives there (July and RainBOw) are underdogs to move on. This imbalance is basically due to ST's past futility and recent surge, but until ST is able to send it's best players after the championship, it's hard to get a measure of their true strength.



If Code S poses challenges, Code A needs to be ST's party this season. They have five competent players in that league, and Squirtle and Ace count among the favorites. Three or four Code S players would put them on par with the other top-level teams, and gives them much better prospects at an individual title in May.



#5: ZeNex A semi-finals appearance in the GSTL confirmed what Zotac Cup watchers already knew; ZeNEX is a deep team that's only getting better. In the GSTL, ZeNEX played a strong series against SlayerS before losing to IM. But ZeNEX players got a lot of time in front of the TV lights, and performed well, even in defeat. They qualified three Code A players; Destination, ButterflyEffect, and Coca, while Byun was promoted. And waiting in the wings, ZeNEX has several distinguished players like Puzzle and ON who are good candidates for qualification in May.



ZeNEX should expect to do well in this GSL, but the pressure to do so does not need to be high. Destination, ButterflyEffect, and CoCa have a lot of promise, and ZeNEX's two Code S players; Kyrix and Byun can do some damage, but experience is paramount for all of these players. Byun has a gift of a group after IdrA left, although Zenio and Clide are both strong players. Kyrix has a manageable slate of opponents as well, but will need to elevate his game to advance. If not in this season however, ZeNEX is putting the blocks in place to become a fearsome team in later months.



#6: SlayerS SlayerS, like ZeNEX, is a young learning team that's played very well as of late. SlayerS is a little behind though, with a single Code S player (who else?), and four Code A entries. Of he group, the most impressive has been Jjob, (Dream.t)1988) who defeated TorcH to make Code A, and nearly reverse all-killed ZeNEX in the GSTL. YuGiOh, Alicia, and the recently demoted Legalmind round out SlayerS' delegation. It's a solid line-up, but one that lacks punch beyond its headliner.



Boxer's Code S group is manageable, and will likely come down to the opening TvT against Ensnare. He could do decently in the tournament, but is not among the favorites. The future of SlayerS likely comes from Code A where they generally will face tough, but workable matches. While not necessarily probable Code S promotions, SlayerS should be satisfied with retention and experience in this tournament. For the newest team in the Korean scene, SlayerS has done well to get to where they are now.



#7: Prime No team was humiliated more in Code S last season than Prime. Two of their three Code A players lost in the opening round. Of their six Code S players, only one made it past the opening round, while the rest went 3-11 and were bumped to the Up/Down matches. There were two positives for Prime last season. Their best player MarineKing advanced the finals, and four of their players survived the relegation matches to return to Code S. It's a hollow victory though. Prime was exposed last season, especially after MarineKing claimed that his team's terran line would make the difference against mvp, his 0-4 defeat was the ultimate indignity.



If the story this season is to be the redemption of Prime, then a lot will have to change in the opening performance. Prime may have more Code S players than the #5 and #6 ranked teams combined, but that doesn't mean anything if they can't advance or improve. MarineKing again must lead the team, but either Check or Polt must come out of Group C, and HongUn will need to take advantage for his all-terran opponents to edge out an advancement out of a difficult Group D. In both cases, Prime players are at best even odds. More than anyone else, they have something to prove if they want to wear the mantle 'World Elite'.



#8: fOu Getting all-killed by Squirtle in the GSTL was an awful result for fOu, but they may want to forget this GSL season as well. After losing their most promising player in Leenock to Code A, the wind seems to have been taken out of fOu's sails. More than any other team, fOu lacks a deep threat. choya may once again make the Ro8, and TheBest or sc may eke their way out of the opening groups, but fOu simply doesn't have the firepower to make a run in this tournament, and are going have to cultivate more talent in future GSL's. After looking like the cool new kids on the block just months ago, it's now rebuilding time.



choya might be fOu's best player, but his ability to draw lucky match-ups and grind out wins against good and bad opponents alike has not earned him many fans. His group is one of the weakest the GSL will likely ever see, however, and he should advance with ease. TheBest and sc are both underdogs meanwhile, with sc probably having the best chance. In Code A, Leenock is basically the opposite of choya, playing impressively, but drawing awful maps, opponents, or BO's nearly every game. His poor luck extends to this season, where he is essentially a push against YuGiOh in the opening rounds. It'll be a challenge for fOu to remain relevant this season.



#9: MvP The odd man out, MvP is the newest team in the GSL hunt, having recruited current Code S player Genius, several former GSL competitors, and having qualified MvPDog (formerly CutefOu) into Code A. Other players of note include GuineaPig, Phoenix, Monster, and DRG. We really know nothing about this team, they have a lot to learn, and ways to go. But there's only one way to go from here, and they have the personnel.



In this GSL, isn't not about Genius. Genius is only recently in MvP, and remains an outlier, having played several GSL seasons without that team's help. It remains to be seen whether the team atmosphere will help or hurt his performance, but the best indication of MvP's talent will how MvPDog performs. His first round draw is Maka, and is beatable. But even if it doesn't work out, MvP can look forward to qualifying more players next season, as their in-house talent gets better by leaps and bounds,

More Guesswork

The GSL Writing Staff Makes More Ill-fated Predictions

Favorite to Win?

Divinek IMNesTea

Hot_Bid: IMNesTea

Kinky IMmvp

Lovedrop: IMmvp

palookieblue IMmvp

Treehugger: IMNesTea

TrueRedemption: oGsMC

Xxio: IMmvp



Dark Horse?

Divinek TLAF-Liquid'Jinro

Hot_Bid: ST_July

Kinky SlayerS_BoxeR

Lovedrop: oGsMC

palookieblue oGsMC

Treehugger: TSL_FruitDealer

TrueRedemption: FOXLyn

Xxio: TLAF-Liquid’Jinro



Guarenteed to be Demoted to A?

Divinek TSL_Clide

Hot_Bid: ZeNEXSan

Kinky ZeNEXSan

Lovedrop: ZeNEXSan

palookieblue anyproPrime.WE

Treehugger: anyproPrime.WE

TrueRedemption: ZeNEXKyrix

Xxio: ZeNEXKyrix



Guarenteed to be Promoted to S?

Divinek TLAF-Liquid'Ret

Hot_Bid: TLAF-Liquid'HuK

Kinky ST_Squirtle

Lovedrop: ST_Squirtle

palookieblue ST_Squirtle

Treehugger: IMLosira

TrueRedemption: ST_Squirtle

Xxio: TLAF-Liquid'HuK



TL Writers actually didn’t have that poor of a time last season, with everyone getting at least something right. But nobody was perfect either. Xxio, who correctly pegged MVP as the tournament favorite, also guaranteed that TheBest would be demoted. (He advanced.) Hot_Bid accurately forecast the promotion of July to code S, but he also chose future Ro8 finisher choya as a surefire code A demotion. TrueRedemption’s predictions largely failed to materialize, although he did portend the fall of LegalMind from the top bracket. Yet his dark horse selection of LiveForever did not, in fact, live beyond the first groupstage. The worst predictions of the GSL belonged to Treehugger, who picked current Code A player Leenock as his dark horse, and bafflingly selected the teamless GuineaPig as Code S talent. The best predictions then, came from Lovedrop, who picked IMmvp has his dark horse, and was right about Check being disappointing, JookTo sucking, and July advancing.



The battle of wits begins in earnest again, as three new writers enter the mix, and many urgent questions remain unanswered. Everyone has predicted one of two IM players to take the tournament. Is it really that simple? Treehugger has reprised his demotion pick for a second season. If anypro lives on, who will he pick next season? Divnek has predicted a Code A player for his probable disappointment. Is this cheating? Xxio’s pick of GSTAR invitational winner Kyrix to be demoted is a bold prediction. Will it pay off? A handful of writers have predicted Liquid’ players in a number of categories. Can the boys in blue do it? And most importantly, can we take down the GSL’s very own experts for another season?

09:00 GMT (+00:00)

Next: GSL March Group Stage Recaps and Reviews!

Moderator EffOrt, Snow, GuMiho, and Team Liquid

Across Korea, winter is beginning to melt into spring, and that means that the gloves are coming off. In the outskirts of Seoul, teamhouses are illuminated late into the night by scores of computer screens. Builds are being painstakingly constructed, opponents are being studiously examined, and APM is being spammed. This is an one-time opportunity for teams and players. Win and prosper, lose and face an uncertain future. There are many players lying awake for whom this will be the peak of their careers. There are many for whom this is just the start of a journey. And somewhere, a future GSL champion is also staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.Oceans and continents away, we've been watching. It's not only the players who are nervous. This GSL will feature five of the foreign scene's greatest players. Four must battle the unforgiving conditions of Code A. One will have a strong chance at the championship. We're worried and apprehensive, but we watch anyway.March Madness is often associated with American college basketball, but to us here at the Team Liquid GSL coverage team, it's a mouth-watering, jaw-dropping, pants-changing slugfest of our favorite eWarriors battling it out. A week off from the action has snowballed into a preview truly worthy of the stakes in this tournament. We're proud to present not only the usual batch of previews and predictions, but a slate of in-depth articles as well and a return of wild shot-in-the-dark predictions. With a newly expanded GSL team, this season of coverage will be more timely, substantive, and indispensable than ever.Code S aside, we've previewed all the Code A action as well, including the matches of the four foreigners invited in to take a shot at Code S.The biggest story in GSL March might not actually be the players. Learning from the experience of the BW starleagues, and responding to popular demand, this season will see the GSL debut of four new maps. All of these maps are larger than their Blizzard counterparts, an designed to promote a more macro focused gameplay. But beyond that, what can we learn? We've already seen them in a little bit of action in the GSTL, and Divinek takes a fresh look at the new maps that will define this season.Just about everyone is hoping for and expecting better games on the new maps. But for games to improve, the players have to get better as well. Treehugger argues that they have—but only in one league.In the Sc2 scene, teams are the agents of change and progress. Builds get formulated in the team houses, strategies get hashed out, and players improve in-house. It might not be fair to say that a player is only as good as their team, but the team-house environment is certainly critical for players. Thus, we pick up where motbob left off last month , with a review of how progaming's best teams stand.With all the easy work done, we've shed our analyst hats to pull out some seat-of-the-pants predictions about the upcoming season. At the end of the season, the points will be totaled up, and the winner will get to play a Bo5 showmatch against BitByBitPrime, to be casted by Day9 and Kim Carrier. Stay on the lookout for details!At, GSL March begins in earnest with a slate of tremendous Code A matches. If you’re not pumped for the start of this season, you’re a robot, please stop spamming TL with ads. But if you’re like us and have blood coursing through your veins, then this is it. It’s crunchtime for sixty four of the best Sc2 players in the world, including four of Team Liquid’s own, and another promising foreigner from down under. The preparations are being made, the lights are warming up, and the casters are putting mint lozenges in their mouths. It’s go time for the GSL, and there’s only one thing left for us, the viewers, to do.Stay Tuned.