[SSL] Finals Preview: Deja Vu Text by TL.net ESPORTS Graphics by v1 & c3rberUs Great moments are born from great opportunity. That’s what these players have earned here. The margin of error here is so small. One drone pull too slow and your workers don’t make it. One missed storm and the lurkers teardown you probe lines. Bisu and hero have played each other plenty of times in ladder matches. One player may win nine out of ten times on ladder. The only wins that matter are the ones played Sunday night. Pixel by Pixel, play by play, these players battle to the finish. These are the greatest players in the world. They are meant to be here. This is their fight. When they walk into the finals venue and stare down each others eyes they have to believe it’s already over for their opponent. Starcraft is game of mental toughness and physical stamina. Only the player who has sacrificed every last minute of every day to practice will win Sunday night.



Just one year ago, two phenomenal players sat less than twenty feet from each other and went toe to toe in the best Starcraft of 2014. It is by no chance that these same two players, Bisu and hero, run into each other again. Each player proved their right to be in the finals by overcoming their hardest challenges. Bisu is fighting to finally take hold of his first OSL gold medal, an object that has eluded him his entire career. Hero is fighting for revenge and the right to finally establish himself as the best player in the entire world, a privilege he has never been able to hold before now. There is only question left unanswered, which player is hungrier?



Read on as BigFan Sunday, Aug 30 8:00am GMT (GMT+00:00) !

That’s what these players have earned here. The margin of error here is so small. One drone pull too slow and your workers don’t make it. One missed storm and the lurkers teardown you probe lines.Bisu andhero have played each other plenty of times in ladder matches. One player may win nine out of ten times on ladder. The only wins that matter are the ones played Sunday night. Pixel by Pixel, play by play, these players battle to the finish. These are the greatest players in the world. They are meant to be here. This is their fight. When they walk into the finals venue and stare down each others eyes they have to believe it’s already over for their opponent. Starcraft is game of mental toughness and physical stamina. Only the player who has sacrificed every last minute of every day to practice will win Sunday night.Just one year ago, two phenomenal players sat less than twenty feet from each other and went toe to toe in the best Starcraft of 2014. It is by no chance that these same two players, Bisu and hero, run into each other again. Each player proved their right to be in the finals by overcoming their hardest challenges. Bisu is fighting to finally take hold of his first OSL gold medal, an object that has eluded him his entire career. Hero is fighting for revenge and the right to finally establish himself as the best player in the entire world, a privilege he has never been able to hold before now. There is only question left unanswered, which player is hungrier?Read on as BigFan recaps the first two semifinal matches, while Stratos, prech, and FlashFTW share an exclusive interview with hero . As we look forward to the finals, BisuDagger looks back at the lore that is Bisu . As part of our finals preview, prech and v1 visually trace the players' road to the finals. BLinD-RawR then previews how Bisu will perform at the finals while FlashFTW & amazingxkcd team up to preview things from hero's perspective . Get ready, play starts on Table of Contents Semifinals Recap

Bisu vs Mind

Bisu vs Mind hero vs free

hero vs free



Interview with hero



Bisu Retrospective



March to the Finals



Finals Preview: Bisu



Finals Preview: hero



Staff Predictions

Liquipedia vs Mind

Bisu > Mind @

Bisu < Mind @

Bisu > Mind @

Bisu < Mind @

Bisu > Mind @ Bisu >Mind @ New Heartbreak Ridge Bisu Neo Jade Bisu >Mind @ La Mancha Bisu Circuit Breaker Bisu >Mind @ New Heartbreak Ridge

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5 New Heartbreak Ridge Bisu opened up the series with a potential gas steal that was thwarted by Mind (significance mentioned later) who was forced into a gas rax opening. Both players expanded with Bisu putting on some light pressure with some goons. Bisu eventually added a robo and went for a reaver drop which was defended while his own expansion came under siege from Mind's drop on the high ground. With things quieting down, both players took a third and Bisu, a fourth as he was teching to carriers. After Bisu revealed his carriers, Mind tried to move out several times but was drawn back by Bisu's carriers or stalled by Bisu's ground army. Up two bases and having a large carrier count with a decent ground army, Bisu just rolled over Mind's army when he finally moved out to attack Bisu's fourth.





Bisu opened up the series with a potential gas steal that was thwarted by Mind (significance mentioned later) who was forced into a gas rax opening. Both players expanded with Bisu putting on some light pressure with some goons. Bisu eventually added a robo and went for a reaver drop which was defended while his own expansion came under siege from Mind's drop on the high ground. With things quieting down, both players took a third and Bisu, a fourth as he was teching to carriers. After Bisu revealed his carriers, Mind tried to move out several times but was drawn back by Bisu's carriers or stalled by Bisu's ground army. Up two bases and having a large carrier count with a decent ground army, Bisu just rolled over Mind's army when he finally moved out to attack Bisu's fourth. Neo Jade Mind decided to expand after getting a factory and scouting Bisu's proxy robo build. After being scouted, Bisu decided to add two more gates and put up some great pressure at Mind's front. Some tense moments were in store for fans of both players as Bisu had the overwhelming force and with his impressive micro, he destroyed Mind's bunker and almost all his tanks. Mind survived and was ready for Bisu's followup shuttle drop. Bisu looked like he tried to catch up to Mind's economy before going for an all-out attack off 7-8 gates that Mind barely survived due to some miscontrol by Bisu. With his army gone, Bisu gg'd out.





Mind decided to expand after getting a factory and scouting Bisu's proxy robo build. After being scouted, Bisu decided to add two more gates and put up some great pressure at Mind's front. Some tense moments were in store for fans of both players as Bisu had the overwhelming force and with his impressive micro, he destroyed Mind's bunker and almost all his tanks. Mind survived and was ready for Bisu's followup shuttle drop. Bisu looked like he tried to catch up to Mind's economy before going for an all-out attack off 7-8 gates that Mind barely survived due to some miscontrol by Bisu. With his army gone, Bisu gg'd out. La Mancha Mind went for a similar opening to game 2 while Bisu expanded after getting a single goon from his only gateway. Mind also expanded soon after he forced away Bisu's goon with his own army. The game entered a period of peace as both played expanded to grab a third base. Considering LM's archecticure and remembering his success in game 1, Bisu opted for carriers once again while he expanded even further. His carrier army grew in size and forced Mind to pull back. By the time Mind attacked, Bisu's carrier army had grown to an impressive size and his strong macro and economy allowed him to beat back Mind's army several times to win the game.





Mind went for a similar opening to game 2 while Bisu expanded after getting a single goon from his only gateway. Mind also expanded soon after he forced away Bisu's goon with his own army. The game entered a period of peace as both played expanded to grab a third base. Considering LM's archecticure and remembering his success in game 1, Bisu opted for carriers once again while he expanded even further. His carrier army grew in size and forced Mind to pull back. By the time Mind attacked, Bisu's carrier army had grown to an impressive size and his strong macro and economy allowed him to beat back Mind's army several times to win the game. Circuit Breaker After opening up with a siege expand, Mind matched Bisu's base count. Even though Bisu went for carriers again, Mind scouted them early on and was ready with goliaths and turrets. After defending his fourth from Bisu's attack and grabbing the supply advantage, Mind pushed out, caught some of Bisu's army in the middle then razed several of Bisu's expansions with impeccable micro. After losing his second, third and fourth base, Bisu conceded defeat and Mind tied the series.





After opening up with a siege expand, Mind matched Bisu's base count. Even though Bisu went for carriers again, Mind scouted them early on and was ready with goliaths and turrets. After defending his fourth from Bisu's attack and grabbing the supply advantage, Mind pushed out, caught some of Bisu's army in the middle then razed several of Bisu's expansions with impeccable micro. After losing his second, third and fourth base, Bisu conceded defeat and Mind tied the series. New Heartbreak Ridge Game 5, it's comes down to the last game between these two strong opponents. Not even a minute in the game and Bisu has already sent out a probe for a 7 gate! Realizing Bisu's propensity for cheese, Mind scouted around and caught Bisu's proxy. Pulling 4 SCVs, he surrounded the gateway but did not forsee Bisu's next move, a small probe pull! With this pull, Bisu barely got the first zealot out in time (gif) and dealt some economical damage. The game became a bit more standard afterwards with Bisu putting on more pressure with his small army. Both players turned to macro as they grabbed a third, however, the early game advantage slowly spiraled out of control as Mind found himself down 40+ supply and facing a rather threatening army. After grabbing a fourth and furthering his army advantage, Bisu crushed Mind's paltry army on his way to the finals!





Game 5, it's comes down to the last game between these two strong opponents. Not even a minute in the game and Bisu has already sent out a probe for a 7 gate! Realizing Bisu's propensity for cheese, Mind scouted around and caught Bisu's proxy. Pulling 4 SCVs, he surrounded the gateway but did not forsee Bisu's next move, a small probe pull! With this pull, Bisu barely got the first zealot out in time (gif) and dealt some economical damage. The game became a bit more standard afterwards with Bisu putting on more pressure with his small army. Both players turned to macro as they grabbed a third, however, the early game advantage slowly spiraled out of control as Mind found himself down 40+ supply and facing a rather threatening army. After grabbing a fourth and furthering his army advantage, Bisu crushed Mind's paltry army on his way to the finals! vs free

hero < free @

hero > free @

hero > free @

hero > free @ hero La Mancha hero >free @ Circuit Breaker hero >free @ New Heartbreak Ridge hero >free @ Neo Jade



Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4 La Mancha hero opened with expansion pool expansion to free's forge FE which was slightly delayed by a pesky drone. After going up to four hatcheries, hero added a hydra den and went for a small attack on free's expansion which was defended by free who managed to sneak a single dark templar into hero's base, but, only killed 2 drones. hero kept up the pressure using some hydras and even tried to use stop lurkers with limited success. free's army grew more fearsome as time passed and hero found himself on the retreat. As he tried to morph enough lurkers and make units to defend, he went for a double lurker drop in both of free's main and expansion which caused severe economical damage to give him an advantage after defending free's attack (gif). Despite losing his army, free was not fazed and built up a larger army. With storm drops ravaging hero's drone at his expansion, free pushed out and won small battles due to positional advantages before managing to win the large engagement at the end.





hero opened with expansion pool expansion to free's forge FE which was slightly delayed by a pesky drone. After going up to four hatcheries, hero added a hydra den and went for a small attack on free's expansion which was defended by free who managed to sneak a single dark templar into hero's base, but, only killed 2 drones. hero kept up the pressure using some hydras and even tried to use stop lurkers with limited success. free's army grew more fearsome as time passed and hero found himself on the retreat. As he tried to morph enough lurkers and make units to defend, he went for a double lurker drop in both of free's main and expansion which caused severe economical damage to give him an advantage after defending free's attack (gif). Despite losing his army, free was not fazed and built up a larger army. With storm drops ravaging hero's drone at his expansion, free pushed out and won small battles due to positional advantages before managing to win the large engagement at the end. Circuit Breaker hero opted for safe play with a pool first then double expanded while free went for forge FE. After adding a hydra den, hero opted for a lurker drop which saw free lose over 14 probes for. After it was cleaned up, hero macroed up and took another base while defending against free's small army and storm drops. Both players engaged several times with hero forced to retreat. In their final big engagement, free made a strong push towards hero's third and with some nice positioning and storms, looked like he had the upper hand but hero's macro helped him defend. While the engagment was going on, he also dropped some lurkers at free's third and killed over 15 probes. hero teched up to defilers then finally overwhelmed free with dark swarm to tie the series.





hero opted for safe play with a pool first then double expanded while free went for forge FE. After adding a hydra den, hero opted for a lurker drop which saw free lose over 14 probes for. After it was cleaned up, hero macroed up and took another base while defending against free's small army and storm drops. Both players engaged several times with hero forced to retreat. In their final big engagement, free made a strong push towards hero's third and with some nice positioning and storms, looked like he had the upper hand but hero's macro helped him defend. While the engagment was going on, he also dropped some lurkers at free's third and killed over 15 probes. hero teched up to defilers then finally overwhelmed free with dark swarm to tie the series. New Heartbreak Ridge hero again opened with a pool exp build while free opened standard with forge FE. After scouting this, hero took a third base and went for hydras. free scouted the hydras and prepared with some more cannons but hero decided not to push. hero eventually retreated and free moved out once speed was ready. He attacked hero's third destroying two sunkens and killing many drones. hero ended up surviving the attack and morphed some mutalisks and scourge. In the next engagement, hero also managed to survive and scored lots of corsair kills With some great scourge cloning and miscontrol by free. More engagments took place with free looking like he had the upper hand but hero always pushed him back until hero took the last major engagement outside his expansion after he decimated free's army with a well-planned surround.





hero again opened with a pool exp build while free opened standard with forge FE. After scouting this, hero took a third base and went for hydras. free scouted the hydras and prepared with some more cannons but hero decided not to push. hero eventually retreated and free moved out once speed was ready. He attacked hero's third destroying two sunkens and killing many drones. hero ended up surviving the attack and morphed some mutalisks and scourge. In the next engagement, hero also managed to survive and scored lots of corsair kills With some great scourge cloning and miscontrol by free. More engagments took place with free looking like he had the upper hand but hero always pushed him back until hero took the last major engagement outside his expansion after he decimated free's army with a well-planned surround. Neo Jade To spice things up, free decided to go for a 4 gate; 1 gate at his natural to mimic a forge FE and 3 proxy gates below hero's expansion at 3 o'clock. On the other hand, hero had no clue what was going on and went for a pool then double expanded. He added a spire soon after his lair was finished. It seemed like we'll be heading for a game 5 as hero had to face 6 zealots with no sunkens and several zerglings for defense. However, that was not the case (gif).





To spice things up, free decided to go for a 4 gate; 1 gate at his natural to mimic a forge FE and 3 proxy gates below hero's expansion at 3 o'clock. On the other hand, hero had no clue what was going on and went for a pool then double expanded. He added a spire soon after his lair was finished. It seemed like we'll be heading for a game 5 as hero had to face 6 zealots with no sunkens and several zerglings for defense. However, that was not the case (gif). Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. We met earlier this year during the HungryApp Kongdoo Starz League but I was unprepared then. This time, two of our staff members came up with some questions that may interest your foreign fans.

Ah, yes hello!! Of course. Haha



Let's start in your early days. Did your family support your early efforts in progaming? What challenges did you face?

At first the idea was met with a lot of opposition at home. My parents were both working and they would always pull out the monitor cable and hide it when they came home from work. My noonas (older sisters) would also also scold me, telling me to study while I was playing. My parents wanted for me to study but they gradually opened their minds to progaming after I won a few prizes in competitions.



Can you describe how you eventually became a progamer? What was the process of being drafted by STX SouL

I joined a guild called "Siz" in 2006 and there I was given the opportunity to join a tryout. It was for STX SouL, but I couldn't win a single game in the tryout. But as if by magic, I passed and became a progamer, somewhat easily, just like that.



Can you tell us about the transition from SouL to Team 8 ? Was there a long gap in between? How did you spend the time?

Tyson, who was on Team 8 at the time, called me up and I ended up joining the team. After I left STX SouL I wasn't playing much. I was working out in preparation for my military service. But thenTyson, who was on Team 8 at the time, called me up and I ended up joining the team.



What is your fondest memory from the KeSPA days?

JangBi in Proleague's round of 6 in the playoffs ( I was probably the happiest when I beatJangBi in Proleague's round of 6 in the playoffs ( 2008-2009 Shinhan Bank Proleague on Neo Medusa ). The team came together until we all felt as one and winning the game was electrifying.



How do feel about your recent surge in performance the past few months? Has anything changed of late that enabled such improvement?

I'm not really sure, either. All I can think of is I was consistently practicing and kept piling on experiences which may have allowed me to further improve. I have also been working out and I'm not sure what it is precisely but it definitely seems to be helping.



It seems Zerg players have a very difficult time against Terran during the Afreeca era. Do you think it's because of the map selection, like Fighting Spirit

Winning is difficult. Somehow it feels as if it's scripted that we are to suffer and lose. Winning is difficult if you take it easy, but the Zerg can win if he does better. As for Fighting Spirit, beating Terran players on the map is really hard. You can lose the game without making a single mistake. I feel much more comfortable playing on other maps.



Speaking of maps, how do you feel about the map pool for this SBENU Starleague? Do any of the maps favor Zerg?

In my opinion they're very well balanced. I don't think there's a map that specifically favours Zerg players and the maps are straight-forward.



How has your ZvP changed since the KeSPA era?

I used to prefer standard play and a heavy supply late-game army but my thinking became a bit deeper these days. Now I always strive to make the best out of the situation, using my mechanics as well.



free, it seems you opted for a quick hydra den before spire, how did you select this strategy? Againstfree, it seems you opted for a quick hydra den before spire, how did you select this strategy?

I like mind games and I really love controlling hydralisks. I wanted to show some early-game hydralisks and exciting play so I chose that strategy.



Have you been watching Sonic's new show, and if so, which of the players do you think shows the most potential?

I have been watching here and there, but I haven't seen enough of the players' games to know yet. But I'd like to go see their lodgings, watch them play and talk to them in the future.



Will you be participating in the new Sonic Proleague? Have you already joined a team?

I definitely want to participate. But I haven't heard anything about the teams yet.



Are you aware of your foreign fanbase? Do you ever visit Teamliquid?

When I was on Team 8, I used to go there a lot to watch FPV streams of SC2 players. However, since the site is in English, I don't know much about it beyond that...ㅠㅠ



Thank you for responding to these questions, we will be cheering for you during the finals. Any parting words?

It seems the passion burns bright in the hearts of Teamliquid fans. I'm very thankful and cannot wait for the grand finals. I will do my utmost best to be able to show exciting games.





The chaos theory explains that small differences in initial conditions yield widely diverging outcomes. Jurassic Park popularized the example of a water drop on the top of a hand. Let us consider a drop lands on the top of a hand and slides off to the right. The best assumption is that if we were to drop the water in the same spot it would slid similarly down the right side of the hand. This conclusion will prove to be completely wrong. Even in deterministic chaos where the present information can determine the future, the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.



During this discussion we will be analyzing what appears to be deterministic chaos in a dynamic system. This specific dynamic system is what I call the Protoss Extinction Event…



Hypothesis:

Protoss extinction will occur when the most dominant Protoss (also known as the alpha) is removed from the pack. This is based on the assertion that all species that can survive do so by living on “the edge of chaos”.



Finding the balance point must be a delicate matter— if a living system drifts too close, it risks falling over into incoherence and dissolution; but if the system moves too far away from the edge, it becomes rigid, frozen, totalitarian. Both conditions lead to extinction. Too much change is as destructive as too little. Only at the edge of chaos can complex systems flourish.



The assertion in relation to the current status of Protoss is that both “too much change” followed by “too little” will eliminate the Protoss as a contentious race in competitive play.



Preliminary data:



The evolution of Protoss begins with the first Alpha: Of course there were many iterations of the Protoss species. In fact Protoss were forming all over the world. But the sustainability of the entire race begins in Canada. Grrrr was smarter, stronger, and faster than any other Protoss. For this, he was even able to beat out his natural predators Zerg and Terran. This may be found controversial what is said next, but evolution always is. Had Grrrr not traveled to Korea, the migration of this dominant species may not have risen the way it has in South Korea. Here Grrrr succeeded in creating a race line of sustainable Protoss players that would soon be able to take over. Come 2002, Protoss would soon have several alphas.



GARIMTO, Kingdom, Reach, , and rose to the top of the ranks. Taking skulls across both OSL’s and MSL’s, the race was able to thrive and adapt. They even became leaders of packs competing in Team Leagues. Players under them could practice and train. Many would fail to acquire adequate skill, but Protoss numbers thrived. Starting 2006, the old guard had the first of their prodigies come to fruition and by 2008 had finally succeeded in creating most perfect species of Protoss players in the world.



The Six Dragons. Bisu, Stork, BeSt, JangBi, Kal, . Of course, each player was evolved in separate environments. While they all were the same race, their skill sets we extraordinarily different.



Bisu – Master versus Zerg and exceptional micro



Stork – Great carrier micro and drop play



Best – Unrivaled Macro god



Jangbi – Terran guru and storm executioner



Kal – Proleague warrior and extremely tall



free – Strategical genius







The first extinction (almost):

Complex behavior asserts that extinction is the result of behavioral change or lack of change. As mentioned in the edge of chaos, behavior can be used to deduce why a species no longer lives. The first (almost) extinction was not the result of a catastrophic event, but as a result of behavioral change that failed to adapt to the changing environment around it.



Using this case, let’s discuss the catastrophic events some may blame. The match fixing of 2009, the creation of a similar species existing in Starcraft 2, or even the coming of a new competitive environment known as MOBAs receive heavy blame for the near extinction of not just Protoss, but all three races from Starcraft 1. It’s all too easy to make these assertions if one refuses to use a brain.



Behavioral changes are responsible for everything. The scene in early 2010 was shifting. All six Alphas known as the Dragons were either changing their environment entirely or choosing to let themselves die off with their teams.



Mid 2012 marks the first time in over a decade that Protoss had no alpha. Over the course of a three year period, the race had to carve its way back. Terran alpha, and Zerg alpha, were dominant over this time period. Here and there a Protoss would take a win. won the third Sonic Starleague, won SSL6, but the rest of that time period Protoss was dominated by its predators. At times it seemed the only hope was , who has been unable to emerge as a leader for the race.



The First Dormant Dragon Rises:





The end of 2013, over a year after Protoss fell silent something remarkable happened. The most dominant dragon, , began streaming on AfreecaTV. Unable to adapt to his new environment, Bisu leaves Starcraft 2 for Starcraft 1. Using official stats, Bisu goes on a ten game win streak in the 1st KotH Proleague sponsored by Sonic. The first alpha since the first near extinction is active and growing stronger each day. Bisu enters 2014 with only three loses on his record since returning. Bisu’s first trial awaits as he enters







It’s no riddle how the Protoss race became competitive again. Ex-Team 8 captain Jaehoon, Mini, and returning dragon free follow behind this wave Bisu has brought with him. Protoss start to have their presence heard again among the round of 16 and round of eight ranks. Why was this the case? Because they all had someone to emulate. Someone to mirror and practice builds off of. Each of Bisu’s wins shows other Protoss players how they can defeat other races.



Making his exit:



As 2015 reaches midway, Bisu and free emerge as the two alphas as they once were in the KeSPA era. Yet something is different. Even Free is unable to take down the top players such as Mind, ZerO, , or . Only the top dragon Bisu is capable of training hard of enough and playing smart enough to consistently be at the top. However the foundation of the Protoss world has been shaken. Just as it seemed there would be hope, Bisu’s mandatory service papers were handed to him. This is it. The final tournament he can compete in for the next two years is actively going on. Amidst this excitement and distraction, Bisu has one final shot to when his first OSL championship. This would complete his transition into the greatest Protoss Alpha that will ever live.





How it all falls apart:

I mentioned earlier the assertion in relation to the current status of Protoss is that both “too much change” followed by “too little” will eliminate the Protoss as a contentious race in competitive play.



Firstly, Bisu leaving Starcraft 1 for mandatory service is too much change. While players like free and Movie may still perform well for a few months to come, the forecast looks cloudy for all Protoss fans and players. With the loss of Bisu’s dominating form, genius play, and exquisite looks, the species as we know it is bound to spiral downward and Starcraft 1 may not see another Protoss champion for a very long time.



Secondly, with Bisu gone for two years there will not be enough change in the Protoss meta game. Bisu has been the forerunner of build orders and timing for Protoss in all matchups for nearly a decade. His absence will prove the lack of creativity remaining in the current Protoss pool.





Conclusion:

For every great kingdom that reaches its highest point, eventually it must fall. The entire Protoss race is moments away from reaching it’s highest point in the entirety of it’s lifetime only to be left with its greatest fall. The Sonic Starleague 11 finals is the final pillar in the creation of the ultimate alpha, Bisu.







The chaos theory explains that small differences in initial conditions yield widely diverging outcomes. Jurassic Park popularized the example of a water drop on the top of a hand. Let us consider a drop lands on the top of a hand and slides off to the right. The best assumption is that if we were to drop the water in the same spot it would slid similarly down the right side of the hand. This conclusion will prove to be completely wrong. Even in deterministic chaos where the present information can determine the future, the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.During this discussion we will be analyzing what appears to be deterministic chaos in a dynamic system. This specific dynamic system is what I call theProtoss extinction will occur when the most dominant Protoss (also known as the alpha) is removed from the pack. This is based on the assertion that all species that can survive do so by living on “the edge of chaos”.The assertion in relation to the current status of Protoss is that both “too much change” followed by “too little” will eliminate the Protoss as a contentious race in competitive play.The evolution of Protoss begins with the first Alpha: Grrrr... Of course there were many iterations of the Protoss species. In fact Protoss were forming all over the world. But the sustainability of the entire race begins in Canada. Grrrr was smarter, stronger, and faster than any other Protoss. For this, he was even able to beat out his natural predators Zerg and Terran. This may be found controversial what is said next, but evolution always is. Had Grrrr not traveled to Korea, the migration of this dominant species may not have risen the way it has in South Korea. Here Grrrr succeeded in creating a race line of sustainable Protoss players that would soon be able to take over. Come 2002, Protoss would soon have several alphas. Nal_rA , and Anytime rose to the top of the ranks. Taking skulls across both OSL’s and MSL’s, the race was able to thrive and adapt. They even became leaders of packs competing in Team Leagues. Players under them could practice and train. Many would fail to acquire adequate skill, but Protoss numbers thrived. Starting 2006, the old guard had the first of their prodigies come to fruition and by 2008 had finally succeeded in creating most perfect species of Protoss players in the world.The Six Dragons. free . Of course, each player was evolved in separate environments. While they all were the same race, their skill sets we extraordinarily different.Complex behavior asserts that extinction is the result of behavioral change or lack of change. As mentioned in the edge of chaos, behavior can be used to deduce why a species no longer lives. The first (almost) extinction was not the result of a catastrophic event, but as a result of behavioral change that failed to adapt to the changing environment around it.Using this case, let’s discuss the catastrophic events some may blame. The match fixing of 2009, the creation of a similar species existing in Starcraft 2, or even the coming of a new competitive environment known as MOBAs receive heavy blame for the near extinction of not just Protoss, but all three races from Starcraft 1. It’s all too easy to make these assertions if one refuses to use a brain.Behavioral changes are responsible for everything. The scene in early 2010 was shifting. All six Alphas known as the Dragons were either changing their environment entirely or choosing to let themselves die off with their teams.Mid 2012 marks the first time in over a decade that Protoss had no alpha. Over the course of a three year period, the race had to carve its way back. Terran alpha, Sea and Zerg alpha, Killer were dominant over this time period. Here and there a Protoss would take a win. Sea.KH won the third Sonic Starleague, Sky won SSL6, but the rest of that time period Protoss was dominated by its predators. At times it seemed the only hope was Movie , who has been unable to emerge as a leader for the race.The end of 2013, over a year after Protoss fell silent something remarkable happened. The most dominant dragon, Bisu , began streaming on AfreecaTV. Unable to adapt to his new environment, Bisu leaves Starcraft 2 for Starcraft 1. Using official stats, Bisu goes on a ten game win streak in the 1st KotH Proleague sponsored by Sonic. The first alpha since the first near extinction is active and growing stronger each day. Bisu enters 2014 with only three loses on his record since returning. Bisu’s first trial awaits as he enters SSL9 . Losing just four games starting from the round of 32 Bisu wins the championship and Protoss has an established presence.It’s no riddle how the Protoss race became competitive again. Ex-Team 8 captain Jaehoon,Mini, and returning dragon free follow behind this wave Bisu has brought with him. Protoss start to have their presence heard again among the round of 16 and round of eight ranks. Why was this the case? Because they all had someone to emulate. Someone to mirror and practice builds off of. Each of Bisu’s wins shows other Protoss players how they can defeat other races.As 2015 reaches midway, Bisu and free emerge as the two alphas as they once were in the KeSPA era. Yet something is different. Even Free is unable to take down the top players such as sSak , or hero . Only the top dragon Bisu is capable of training hard of enough and playing smart enough to consistently be at the top. However the foundation of the Protoss world has been shaken. Just as it seemed there would be hope, Bisu’s mandatory service papers were handed to him. This is it. The final tournament he can compete in for the next two years is actively going on. Amidst this excitement and distraction, Bisu has one final shot to when his first OSL championship. This would complete his transition into the greatest Protoss Alpha that will ever live.I mentioned earlier the assertion in relation to the current status of Protoss is that both “too much change” followed by “too little” will eliminate the Protoss as a contentious race in competitive play.Firstly, Bisu leaving Starcraft 1 for mandatory service is too much change. While players like free and Movie may still perform well for a few months to come, the forecast looks cloudy for all Protoss fans and players. With the loss of Bisu’s dominating form, genius play, and exquisite looks, the species as we know it is bound to spiral downward and Starcraft 1 may not see another Protoss champion for a very long time.Secondly, with Bisu gone for two years there will not be enough change in the Protoss meta game. Bisu has been the forerunner of build orders and timing for Protoss in all matchups for nearly a decade. His absence will prove the lack of creativity remaining in the current Protoss pool.For every great kingdom that reaches its highest point, eventually it must fall. The entire Protoss race is moments away from reaching it’s highest point in the entirety of it’s lifetime only to be left with its greatest fall. The Sonic Starleague 11 finals is the final pillar in the creation of the ultimate alpha, Bisu. Bisu would have made it to the grand finals (well maybe a little considering his road to the finals) and now faces off against hero in the rematch of SSL9 and the odds between either playing winning as surprisingly even and by that I mean Bisu is still going to win.



This will be the third time Bisu faces off against hero in a Bo5 having won the prior two -- SSL9 Finals(3-2) and Terror SL Semifinals(3-1) -- it’s pretty obvious that he has the mental edge when it comes to the Bo5 scenario.



Bisu has been playing the more aggressive and proactive styles against Zerg players throughout the season, taking full advantage of his multitasking skills and its certainly proven to work in his favor while at the same time being able to play the longer game in favor. At the same time, such aggression requires that necessary amount of damage be done or else Bisu would be left severely behind, as was the case in the game against ZerO on Neo Jade in the Ro8.





Ready to fist pump, again

High Templars and corsairs are key, hero is a player that tends to take a closer third base on 4 player maps like La Mancha and Neo Jade and bulks up his ground army with hydra-lurker-zergling on lair for a fairly long time. Meanwhile, hero tends to forgo static defenses for a more mobile ground army so storms are really great against that composition. This is something that Bisu had already shown in the game against hero in the Ro16 and having fewer static defenses means that breaking bases with just storm would be easier.



It's no secret that hero loves hydra heavy compositions and Bisu does have the map control with corsairs as long as hero chooses to rely on his hydralisks over his scourge usage, something which hero isn’t particularly well in controlling as seen with his semifinal match against free on HBR where hero showed an extremely inefficient use of them. With Bisu’s superior corsair control he is certainly safe in the game of air control on pretty much any map, something which he would have to take advantage of, hero is very well known for his drop heavy play, sneaking in lurker drops onto the mineral line to shred them apart, meaning Bisu absolutely needs to keep his corsairs alive and active on overlord hunting.



Keeping up the harassment, if Bisu is unable to keep hero busy it would mean that hero would safely be able to amass a large enough hydra force backed with lings and lurkers (eventually defilers) and make it extremely difficult for Bisu to really challenge the army even with storms and take map control and just roll over Bisu with mass Zerg.



Map Analysis:







Neo Jade (Set 1)

Bisu tends to get his funky play on in Neo Jade and it hasn’t shown the best of success, the proxy 2 gate cannon contain vs Larva did not entirely go as planned even though he won and the reaver drops against ZerO were just swatted away like nothing, If there is anything to have been learned from those matches Bisu would play relatively safe, getting the 4th is essential with the low gas thirds and denying it for hero who is likely going for the nearby 3rd base, Bisu is going to have a good time on the map as long as he can hold on to any initial hydra pressure that hero might opt for and takes map control with air superiority.



La Mancha (Sets 2 & 5)

The repeat map of the series, La Mancha favors Zerg quite a bit, mostly because of the wide open area in front of the natural leading to either of the potential thirds, as such Bisu has to go for strong 2 base aggression with speedzealot timing or Sair/DT harassment to keep hero occupied enough to take his own third, or if Bisu can scout a lack of static defense from hero he may attempt to break him much like free did on the same map during the Ro4.



New Heartbreak Ridge(Set 3)

HBR is another map where Bisu can get really cheeky, both Bisu and hero have really strong drop plays with hero’s tendency to do lurker drops and Bisu’s Sair/DT play and its something that either player will be looking for the other to do. It's far easier for Bisu to hold a 3rd base than it is for hero to on this map and Bisu needs to put pressure denying mining of the third base for as much as he possibly can with speedlot timings or DT harass.



Circuit Breaker(Set 4)

Bisu’s multitasking skills will be put to the test on Circuit Breaker, Bisu needs to establish air dominance with his corsairs and take map control with it, denying overlord scouting and drops and to make sure that Bisu’s army never fights hero out in the open, the best place to engage armies for Bisu would be near the bridges in front of the natural and the high ground into the mineral only bases or into the low ground thirds.





Bisu has shown time and again his mastery over the Zerg race and his dominance over hero especially, this time will be no different and with the threat of military service looming, this may be the only time we may ever see Bisu win an OGN trophy.



There wasn’t much doubt in anyone’s mind thatBisu would have made it to the grand finals (well maybe a little considering his road to the finals) and now faces off againsthero in the rematch of SSL9 and the odds between either playing winning as surprisingly even and by that I mean Bisu is still going to win.This will be the third time Bisu faces off against hero in a Bo5 having won the prior two -- SSL9 Finals(3-2) and Terror SL Semifinals(3-1) -- it’s pretty obvious that he has the mental edge when it comes to the Bo5 scenario.Bisu has been playing the more aggressive and proactive styles against Zerg players throughout the season, taking full advantage of his multitasking skills and its certainly proven to work in his favor while at the same time being able to play the longer game in favor. At the same time, such aggression requires that necessary amount of damage be done or else Bisu would be left severely behind, as was the case in the game againstZerO on Neo Jade in the Ro8.High Templars and corsairs are key, hero is a player that tends to take a closer third base on 4 player maps like La Mancha and Neo Jade and bulks up his ground army with hydra-lurker-zergling on lair for a fairly long time. Meanwhile, hero tends to forgo static defenses for a more mobile ground army so storms are really great against that composition. This is something that Bisu had already shown in the game against hero in the Ro16 and having fewer static defenses means that breaking bases with just storm would be easier.It's no secret that hero loves hydra heavy compositions and Bisu does have the map control with corsairs as long as hero chooses to rely on his hydralisks over his scourge usage, something which hero isn’t particularly well in controlling as seen with his semifinal match against free on HBR where hero showed an extremely inefficient use of them. With Bisu’s superior corsair control he is certainly safe in the game of air control on pretty much any map, something which he would have to take advantage of, hero is very well known for his drop heavy play, sneaking in lurker drops onto the mineral line to shred them apart, meaning Bisu absolutely needs to keep his corsairs alive and active on overlord hunting.Keeping up the harassment, if Bisu is unable to keep hero busy it would mean that hero would safely be able to amass a large enough hydra force backed with lings and lurkers (eventually defilers) and make it extremely difficult for Bisu to really challenge the army even with storms and take map control and just roll over Bisu with mass Zerg.Bisu tends to get his funky play on in Neo Jade and it hasn’t shown the best of success, the proxy 2 gate cannon contain vsLarva did not entirely go as planned even though he won and the reaver drops against ZerO were just swatted away like nothing, If there is anything to have been learned from those matches Bisu would play relatively safe, getting the 4th is essential with the low gas thirds and denying it for hero who is likely going for the nearby 3rd base, Bisu is going to have a good time on the map as long as he can hold on to any initial hydra pressure that hero might opt for and takes map control with air superiority.The repeat map of the series, La Mancha favors Zerg quite a bit, mostly because of the wide open area in front of the natural leading to either of the potential thirds, as such Bisu has to go for strong 2 base aggression with speedzealot timing or Sair/DT harassment to keep hero occupied enough to take his own third, or if Bisu can scout a lack of static defense from hero he may attempt to break him much likefree did on the same map during the Ro4.HBR is another map where Bisu can get really cheeky, both Bisu and hero have really strong drop plays with hero’s tendency to do lurker drops and Bisu’s Sair/DT play and its something that either player will be looking for the other to do. It's far easier for Bisu to hold a 3rd base than it is for hero to on this map and Bisu needs to put pressure denying mining of the third base for as much as he possibly can with speedlot timings or DT harass.Bisu’s multitasking skills will be put to the test on Circuit Breaker, Bisu needs to establish air dominance with his corsairs and take map control with it, denying overlord scouting and drops and to make sure that Bisu’s army never fights hero out in the open, the best place to engage armies for Bisu would be near the bridges in front of the natural and the high ground into the mineral only bases or into the low ground thirds.Bisu has shown time and again his mastery over the Zerg race and his dominance over hero especially, this time will be no different and with the threat of military service looming, this may be the only time we may ever see Bisu win an OGN trophy.

hero’s incredible run through the SSL11 will culminate into one final series against one of best players in Brood War, Bisu. The ZvP monster has played some fantastic Brood War, only dropping one game to free in the semifinals, while destroying the rest of the competition, including Bisu, in the group stages. He trounced the washed up Iris and rookie Olympus in the Round of 24, then dismantled his Round of 16 group in the form of HiyA, Larva, and Bisu. After moving into the bracket format, hero didn’t miss a beat, embarrassing Mong 3-0 in the quarterfinals and confidently beating free 3-1 in the semifinals.



In his past 20 league games, hero is at an astounding 16-4. While his ZvT won’t help him in this matchup, it is important to note his unbelievable 12 game win streak vT that he has going at the moment. Concurrently, since the beginning of the 2015 calendar year, hero has an incredible 22-12 (65%) vP winrate, and has a post-KeSPA lifetime vP record of 72%. He also got some practice beforehand by beating free in 4 games in the semifinals, as well as winning a hard-fought game against Bisu in group stages. In contrast, Bisu was taken to the brink by Mind in his semifinals, but he was able to beat ZerO in the quarters.





Ready to get down to business

hero will look to his extremely aggressive style to clash with Bisu’s calm, yet fiery multitasking. We have seen in the semifinal games against free, and earlier in hero’s career, his heavy usage of early hydras, through economic builds such as his 4 hatch before lair to his aggressive 3 hatch hydra builds as they have fantastic success. He was able to catch free off-guard and force free to play to the tune that hero laid out, which of course was 2 base all-ins every time.



Because hero often opts for the early hydras to fake out the Protoss, he gets a lot of map control and information, but, most importantly, does not let the Protoss players to build up with comfort, which is huge in the PvZ matchup. In addition, we have seen hero make some ridiculous lurker drop plays so far in this SSL, most of them out-right winning the game for him, as shown in his semifinal series against free. His ability to be constantly dominating the map while still going for drops will be a key proponent for hero should he want to win against Bisu in the finals. But hero is not just known for his devastating mid game hydra plays; he can take any Protoss to the limit with his late game management, as well. hero knows when he has to transition to the late game and does so quite well while fooling his opponents that he is still committing to the heavy lair tech game. We have seen in this SSL Protoss players struggling against the late game Zerg management, especially if the Zerg has map control. It is no secret that Bisu will be able to weather the management, but can he manage the storm that hero is able to bring? We believe not.





Never one to shy away from the bright lights

If hero wants to beat Bisu, however, he will have to fix some glaring mistakes with his current play, plays of which Bisu is known to take advantage. The biggest mistake that hero has been making is skimping on scourges. Since hero utilizes builds that rely on heavy hydra usage in all stages of the game, he often feels that hydras should be enough to serve as his anti-drop and as his anti-air. While there is some merit to this, the main one being as economical as possible, hero will be playing against a player who abuses his ability to multi-task with heavy corsair and drop play. Let’s not forget that Bisu won the most lopsided



Because of this, hero must adapt his build to include spire tech if he wants to keep Bisu’s superior air play in check. It does not have to be dedicated mutalisk play in a fashion that he displayed against free on Heartbreak Ridge, but for hero to not lose a winning game will require him to be constantly producing scourges add to his army and to serve as a safe-guard. One of the other issues that hero has had is making inadequate use of static defenses. Because hero favors his early game army that is quite mobile, he usually skimps out on sunken colonies at his bases, defending with a handful of hydras at each location. However, as we saw in game 1 vs free, his lack of sunken colonies allowed free’s 2 base all-in to break through. Note that Bisu does a fantastic job of defending against aggression so hero will most likely not be able to win the in early to mid game, meaning that hero will want to aim for a the late game to beat Bisu. This is where having a lot of static defense to buffer his defenses comes into play, even if it only serves to provide peace of mind for hero.



Look for hero to throw Bisu off his game with hydra fakes and more incorporation of spire play into his games. hero will be pushed to his multi-tasking limits against Bisu, and it will come down to his ability to shut down Bisu’s sneaky harass that will most likely win him the series. If hero forces Bisu into all-ins like he did against free, he will easily be able to learn from his previous series and hold. The biggest key factor for hero will be his level of comfort going against Bisu and playing at the SSL 11 stadium. Hero needs to make sure that he stays calm, stick to his game plan, and the rewards will be ripe for reaping. Taking Bisu out of his element through sneaky lurker drops will be a sure fire way for Hero to gain the upper hand in this tough match-up. We are cheering for hero come out strong and take the whole series.



Map Analysis:





Neo Jade (1st Set)

hero has shown his immaculate Neo Jade play, using his early hydras to take full map control and abusing a very wide open choke between the third and natural. Hero will look to spread the Protoss thin on this map, using lurker contains to his maximum advantage while grabbing expansions behind it. Bisu’s shuttle play may be annoying, but hero will make use of an early spire like he did against free to shut it down comfortably. Should the game go to the late hive tech, then hero gets to draw on the wisdom displayed in EffOrt’s game against free, where EffOrt goes for constant zergling runby's to grind free into an inescapable hole.



La Mancha (2nd and 5th Set)

La Mancha’s distant third and no real choke point between the natural and 3rd favors hero’s aggressive hydralisk builds. By creating an aggressive early army and slowly reinforcing with more units, he can cut Bisu off from his third if Bisu ever moves out to grab an expansion. hero should also be able to use the top of the ridges to rain down lurker spines and hydralisk attacks while maintaining high ground advantage over the popular heavy dragoon armies. Look for hero to properly create static defenses on this map if Bisu attempts the 2 base all-in and to incorporate scourges into his army composition as this map is one of the easier maps for Protoss to pull off shuttle harassment.



New Heartbreak Ridge (3rd Set)

The back ridge behind the natural and a relatively open main will favor hero’s early drop play, as we saw in his game vs free where lurkers decimated the mineral lines. hero will most likely opt for a quick lair for overlord upgrades while taking his 3rd base. Bisu will need to try to abuse a lack of early spire and take control of the skies, but hero also showed that he is comfortable with massing scourge & mutalisks against large corsair fleets. The key to this map is whether or not hero can safely secure his 3rd and 4th and defend it without losing too much economy given that the 3rds and 4th on HBR are terrible to defend as a Zerg. We will need to see some clutch defenses and very creative simcity as Bisu will be more than happy to charge into hero’s bases with a well-timed zealot attack.



Circuit Breaker (4th Set)

Easily one of hero’s best maps, he loves taking the mineral only bases if he spawns vertically or cross-map to the Protoss. This allows him to defend much easier and helps him defend against annoying shuttle drops. The map is also susceptible to lurker drops, as every expansion has some holes where lurkers will feel at home. Bisu’s multi-tasking will have to be perfect in order to deflect hero’s aggressive hydra forces as well as the lurker drops. The tricky part for hero will be army positioning as he will need to abuse the open ground on the map and to make sure that he is not engaging only on one flank, especially at that high ground outside his mineral only bases.





As the last player of the Zerg Supremacy to fight against the cult of Bisudom, we will cheer on Hero with a simple but elegant HERO HWAITING! hero to take the crown with a score of 3-2



hero’s incredible run through the SSL11 will culminate into one final series against one of best players in Brood War,Bisu. The ZvP monster has played some fantastic Brood War, only dropping one game tofree in the semifinals, while destroying the rest of the competition, including Bisu, in the group stages. He trounced the washed upIris and rookieOlympus in the Round of 24, then dismantled his Round of 16 group in the form ofHiyA,Larva, andBisu. After moving into the bracket format, hero didn’t miss a beat, embarrassingMong 3-0 in the quarterfinals and confidently beating free 3-1 in the semifinals.In his past 20 league games, hero is at an astounding 16-4. While his ZvT won’t help him in this matchup, it is important to note his unbelievable 12 game win streak vT that he has going at the moment. Concurrently, since the beginning of the 2015 calendar year, hero has an incredible 22-12 (65%) vP winrate, and has a post-KeSPA lifetime vP record of 72%. He also got some practice beforehand by beating free in 4 games in the semifinals, as well as winning a hard-fought game against Bisu in group stages. In contrast, Bisu was taken to the brink byMind in his semifinals, but he was able to beatZerO in the quarters.hero will look to his extremely aggressive style to clash with Bisu’s calm, yet fiery multitasking. We have seen in the semifinal games against free, and earlier in hero’s career, his heavy usage of early hydras, through economic builds such as his 4 hatch before lair to his aggressive 3 hatch hydra builds as they have fantastic success. He was able to catch free off-guard and force free to play to the tune that hero laid out, which of course was 2 base all-ins every time.Because hero often opts for the early hydras to fake out the Protoss, he gets a lot of map control and information, but, most importantly, does not let the Protoss players to build up with comfort, which is huge in the PvZ matchup. In addition, we have seen hero make some ridiculous lurker drop plays so far in this SSL, most of them out-right winning the game for him, as shown in his semifinal series against free. His ability to be constantly dominating the map while still going for drops will be a key proponent for hero should he want to win against Bisu in the finals. But hero is not just known for his devastating mid game hydra plays; he can take any Protoss to the limit with his late game management, as well. hero knows when he has to transition to the late game and does so quite well while fooling his opponents that he is still committing to the heavy lair tech game. We have seen in this SSL Protoss players struggling against the late game Zerg management, especially if the Zerg has map control. It is no secret that Bisu will be able to weather the management, but can he manage the storm that hero is able to bring? We believe not.If hero wants to beat Bisu, however, he will have to fix some glaring mistakes with his current play, plays of which Bisu is known to take advantage. The biggest mistake that hero has been making is skimping on scourges. Since hero utilizes builds that rely on heavy hydra usage in all stages of the game, he often feels that hydras should be enough to serve as his anti-drop and as his anti-air. While there is some merit to this, the main one being as economical as possible, hero will be playing against a player who abuses his ability to multi-task with heavy corsair and drop play. Let’s not forget that Bisu won the most lopsided MSL final off of his signature heavy corsair-DT play, and he has never stopped using it.Because of this, hero must adapt his build to include spire tech if he wants to keep Bisu’s superior air play in check. It does not have to be dedicated mutalisk play in a fashion that he displayed against free on Heartbreak Ridge, but for hero to not lose a winning game will require him to be constantly producing scourges add to his army and to serve as a safe-guard. One of the other issues that hero has had is making inadequate use of static defenses. Because hero favors his early game army that is quite mobile, he usually skimps out on sunken colonies at his bases, defending with a handful of hydras at each location. However, as we saw in game 1 vs free, his lack of sunken colonies allowed free’s 2 base all-in to break through. Note that Bisu does a fantastic job of defending against aggression so hero will most likely not be able to win the in early to mid game, meaning that hero will want to aim for a the late game to beat Bisu. This is where having a lot of static defense to buffer his defenses comes into play, even if it only serves to provide peace of mind for hero.Look for hero to throw Bisu off his game with hydra fakes and more incorporation of spire play into his games. hero will be pushed to his multi-tasking limits against Bisu, and it will come down to his ability to shut down Bisu’s sneaky harass that will most likely win him the series. If hero forces Bisu into all-ins like he did against free, he will easily be able to learn from his previous series and hold. The biggest key factor for hero will be his level of comfort going against Bisu and playing at the SSL 11 stadium. Hero needs to make sure that he stays calm, stick to his game plan, and the rewards will be ripe for reaping. Taking Bisu out of his element through sneaky lurker drops will be a sure fire way for Hero to gain the upper hand in this tough match-up. We are cheering for hero come out strong and take the whole series.hero has shown his immaculate Neo Jade play, using his early hydras to take full map control and abusing a very wide open choke between the third and natural. Hero will look to spread the Protoss thin on this map, using lurker contains to his maximum advantage while grabbing expansions behind it. Bisu’s shuttle play may be annoying, but hero will make use of an early spire like he did against free to shut it down comfortably. Should the game go to the late hive tech, then hero gets to draw on the wisdom displayed inEffOrt’s game against free, where EffOrt goes for constant zergling runby's to grind free into an inescapable hole.La Mancha’s distant third and no real choke point between the natural and 3rd favors hero’s aggressive hydralisk builds. By creating an aggressive early army and slowly reinforcing with more units, he can cut Bisu off from his third if Bisu ever moves out to grab an expansion. hero should also be able to use the top of the ridges to rain down lurker spines and hydralisk attacks while maintaining high ground advantage over the popular heavy dragoon armies. Look for hero to properly create static defenses on this map if Bisu attempts the 2 base all-in and to incorporate scourges into his army composition as this map is one of the easier maps for Protoss to pull off shuttle harassment.The back ridge behind the natural and a relatively open main will favor hero’s early drop play, as we saw in his game vs free where lurkers decimated the mineral lines. hero will most likely opt for a quick lair for overlord upgrades while taking his 3rd base. Bisu will need to try to abuse a lack of early spire and take control of the skies, but hero also showed that he is comfortable with massing scourge & mutalisks against large corsair fleets. The key to this map is whether or not hero can safely secure his 3rd and 4th and defend it without losing too much economy given that the 3rds and 4th on HBR are terrible to defend as a Zerg. We will need to see some clutch defenses and very creative simcity as Bisu will be more than happy to charge into hero’s bases with a well-timed zealot attack.Easily one of hero’s best maps, he loves taking the mineral only bases if he spawns vertically or cross-map to the Protoss. This allows him to defend much easier and helps him defend against annoying shuttle drops. The map is also susceptible to lurker drops, as every expansion has some holes where lurkers will feel at home. Bisu’s multi-tasking will have to be perfect in order to deflect hero’s aggressive hydra forces as well as the lurker drops. The tricky part for hero will be army positioning as he will need to abuse the open ground on the map and to make sure that he is not engaging only on one flank, especially at that high ground outside his mineral only bases.As the last player of the Zerg Supremacy to fight against the cult of Bisudom, we will cheer on Hero with a simple but elegant HERO HWAITING! hero to take the crown with a score of 3-2



Bisu hero 2Pacalypse- (3-2)

BisuDagger 3-0

c3rberUs (3-2)

Stratos (3-1)

BLinD-RawR (3-2) amazingxkcd (3-2)

Epoxide (3-2)

v1 (3-2)

BigFan (3-2)

As we get ready for the elimination round, the TeamLiquid BW staff want to share their own predictions, with the anticipated result in parentheses:

