[GSL] Code S Nov '11 - Preview Text by Waxangel Graphics by TeamLiquid Artists GSL November Preview



Full results, schedule & standings for GSL November on Liquipedia Full results, schedule & standings foron



As a long time Brood War fan, I find it hard to admit it when the Starcraft II scene is doing things better. But I have to give the SC II scene this much: You really feel like your opinion as a fan is valued.



Though it was a little bit slow in the coming, GomTV has announced an incredible transformation of its league that addresses many of the concerns fans have had for months. It's not quite Sundance's brand of showy, over-the-top public relations, but it makes you feel great about how GomTV is trying to cater to its viewers demands.



Today, we look at the changes to the GSL system, and look ahead towards to first week of Code S November.



Vive La Révolution!

GSL Revamped

by WaxAngel



Code S Preview: Part One

by Fionn

As a long time Brood War fan, I find it hard to admit it when the Starcraft II scene is doing things better. But I have to give the SC II scene this much: You really feel like your opinion as a fan is valued.Though it was a little bit slow in the coming, GomTV has announced an incredible transformation of its league that addresses many of the concerns fans have had for months. It's not quite Sundance's brand of showy, over-the-top public relations, but it makes you feel great about how GomTV is trying to cater to its viewers demands.Today, we look at the changes to the GSL system, and look ahead towards to first week of Code S November.





Vive La Révolution!

GSL Revamped by: WaxAngel



The system they came up with? The top 1/4th of the players are seeded back into the tournament, while the remaining 3/4th get second chances in the lower, qualifying tournament. And now, GomTV has changed to such a system as well.





Seriously, it's not actually that hard to understand.





Code S: "Vive La Révolution!"



GomTV also understood the need to cultivate stars and ensure their constant exposure in the early stages of ESPORTS. However, they went totally overboard in their measures to protect established players, allowing a ridiculous 24 of 32 Code S participants to remain in Code S every season. As much as keeping popular players like HuK or Nada in Code S every season may have improved GomTV's bottom line, Code S was getting too stale as a whole. With the same group of mid-tier pros duking it out during the earlier rounds, it really felt like you could skip over the first two rounds entirely and check back in for the RO8 tournament.



The new system has only the top eight players receiving seeds, while the remaining 24 get placed into progressively higher rounds of Code A depending on their performance. From a pure fairness standpoint, this is still pretty big advantage towards established Code S players. But when you consider that almost every SC II tournament shows some degree of favoritism towards existing stars (hi MLG!), the revamped Code S actually strikes a reasonably good balance between being fair and retaining marketable stars.



Farewell Code A, We Barely Got to Know Ya.



For all the great changes to Code S, there's one thing that breaks my heart. Code A, the sexy hipster tournament of Starcraft II, has been relegated to a feeder tournament. There's nothing wrong with that, since that's how the league should have been designed in the first place. Code S should have been the primary attraction, while Code A provided an interesting side-show.



However, the way it played out, Code S's excessive seeding made it a lifeless and boring show, while Code A became the fresh and hip venue for all of the new talent in town. In particular, the Code A finals often delivered finals that far outshone its Code S cousin, precisely because a Code S spot used to be so hard to come by.



Code A could have been even more competitive this season, with over sixty players getting involved in a near Super Tournament. However, the tournament will cut out after RO24 – just before things start to get heated – and pass the baton onto to Up-Down Matches.



It's unfortunate to see what was once an epic tournament in itself fall to the wayside, but it's all for a greater cause. Hopefully the newly revamped Code-S will have the best mix of old stars and new blood, and truly be the league where the best of the times can fight it out for the championship.





Hype the Up-Down as Its Own Tournament!



Now that there are a full thirty players in the Up-Downs, the time has finally come. There's Code S, Code A, AND the Up-Downs as the trinity of GSL Tournaments. Previously the Up-Downs were played as a three day barrage of barely hyped games between the Code S semis and finals. It was a treasure trove of good games, where skilled players put it all on the line in a desperate shot at Code S... But was for the most part, only seen by the hardcore fans who sought out the unique tournament.



With the Up-Downs supplying ten of the Code-S Spots this season, it needs to be elevated in status so it becomes its own unique entity, or rolled into Code A where it might get the high profile it deserves. Please, GomTV, don't let this sure-to-be-awesome tournament fall into an unwatched limbo.





The Up-Down Seeds of Mystery



In professional athletics, a rule is sometimes named after a player who had a key part to play in its creation. For instance, in NBA, a new salary rule was once made so that the Boston Celtics could keep their iconic hero Larry Bird, and this rule became known as the "Bird Exception." Similarly, we might come to call the two direct foreigner seeds into the Up-Down Matches the "Idra Seeds."



Though it's not exactly public policy, GomTV has been pretty transparent over the years about their desire to get stars at all costs. Well then, who's a bigger star than Idra? Considering that they pull a considerable amount of revenue from foreign subscriptions, you can't blame them for seemingly creating this rule solely for the soon-back-in-Korea Grack Fields. Mr.Chae has wanted Idra back in GSL from the moment he left (at a chance run-in at the Columbus airport, "so when are you coming back to Korea?" was one of the first things he asked him), and now that he's there, it's time to rush him back into Code-S.



So now that I'm 99% sure that Idra holds the first seed, the question is who gets the other? It seems kind of strange to give DeMuslim a spot, when the more proven Sase and Naniwa are stuck with ordinary old Code-A seeds. There's no one else in Korea who immediately seems like a good fit, but the Up-Down Matches are over a month away. By that time, who knows what worthy foreigner challengers could be in Korea?





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Somewhere along the line in the development of ESPORTS, the Korean broadcasters OnGameNet and MBCGame made a shrewd business calculation. They determined that ESPORTS was too driven by star power to allow them to hold truly open competitions. They needed to strike a balance between making sure their tournaments had enough stars competing in them, while allowing enough opportunities for rising players so that they could nurture new stars and maintain the legitimacy of their tournaments.The system they came up with? The top 1/4th of the players are seeded back into the tournament, while the remaining 3/4th get second chances in the lower, qualifying tournament. And now, GomTV has changed to such a system as well.GomTV also understood the need to cultivate stars and ensure their constant exposure in the early stages of ESPORTS. However, they went totally overboard in their measures to protect established players, allowing a ridiculous 24 of 32 Code S participants to remain in Code S every season. As much as keeping popular players like HuK or Nada in Code S every season may have improved GomTV's bottom line, Code S was getting too stale as a whole. With the same group of mid-tier pros duking it out during the earlier rounds, it really felt like you could skip over the first two rounds entirely and check back in for the RO8 tournament.The new system has only the top eight players receiving seeds, while the remaining 24 get placed into progressively higher rounds of Code A depending on their performance. From a pure fairness standpoint, this is still pretty big advantage towards established Code S players. But when you consider that almost every SC II tournament shows some degree of favoritism towards existing stars (hi MLG!), the revamped Code S actually strikes a reasonably good balance between being fair and retaining marketable stars.For all the great changes to Code S, there's one thing that breaks my heart. Code A, the sexy hipster tournament of Starcraft II, has been relegated to a feeder tournament. There's nothing wrong with that, since that's how the league should have been designed in the first place. Code S should have been the primary attraction, while Code A provided an interesting side-show.However, the way it played out, Code S's excessive seeding made it a lifeless and boring show, while Code A became the fresh and hip venue for all of the new talent in town. In particular, the Code A finals often delivered finals that far outshone its Code S cousin, precisely because a Code S spot used to be so hard to come by.Code A could have been even more competitive this season, with over sixty players getting involved in a near Super Tournament. However, the tournament will cut out after RO24 – just before things start to get heated – and pass the baton onto to Up-Down Matches.It's unfortunate to see what was once an epic tournament in itself fall to the wayside, but it's all for a greater cause. Hopefully the newly revamped Code-S will have the best mix of old stars and new blood, and truly be the league where the best of the times can fight it out for the championship.Now that there are a full thirty players in the Up-Downs, the time has finally come. There's Code S, Code A, AND the Up-Downs as the trinity of GSL Tournaments. Previously the Up-Downs were played as a three day barrage of barely hyped games between the Code S semis and finals. It was a treasure trove of good games, where skilled players put it all on the line in a desperate shot at Code S... But was for the most part, only seen by the hardcore fans who sought out the unique tournament.With the Up-Downs supplying ten of the Code-S Spots this season, it needs to be elevated in status so it becomes its own unique entity, or rolled into Code A where it might get the high profile it deserves. Please, GomTV, don't let this sure-to-be-awesome tournament fall into an unwatched limbo.In professional athletics, a rule is sometimes named after a player who had a key part to play in its creation. For instance, in NBA, a new salary rule was once made so that the Boston Celtics could keep their iconic hero Larry Bird, and this rule became known as the "Bird Exception." Similarly, we might come to call the two direct foreigner seeds into the Up-Down Matches the "Idra Seeds."Though it's not exactly public policy, GomTV has been pretty transparent over the years about their desire to get stars at all costs. Well then, who's a bigger star than Idra? Considering that they pull a considerable amount of revenue from foreign subscriptions, you can't blame them for seemingly creating this rule solely for the soon-back-in-Korea Grack Fields. Mr.Chae has wanted Idra back in GSL from the moment he left (at a chance run-in at the Columbus airport, "so when are you coming back to Korea?" was one of the first things he asked him), and now that he's there, it's time to rush him back into Code-S.So now that I'm 99% sure that Idra holds the first seed, the question is who gets the other? It seems kind of strange to give DeMuslim a spot, when the more proven Sase and Naniwa are stuck with ordinary old Code-A seeds. There's no one else in Korea who immediately seems like a good fit, but the Up-Down Matches are over a month away. By that time, who knows what worthy foreigner challengers could be in Korea?





Code S November RO32 Preview - Part One by Fionn After a long break (an entire week!) that has surely given you Tastosis withdrawals, the GSL returns with its November season.



With this article coming out on Halloween, you might think that demons and evil spirits might be the scariest thing coming into this season, but no monster could be more frightening for the current crop of Code S players than the new format that was announced at the group selections. In a matter of four games, a player could go from the high and luxurious class of Code S to the hell known as Code B. For these players to keep their spot in the hierarchy of the GSL, they will have to combat the oncoming horde of zombies that are making their way through Code A.





by fishuu



Only the top eight from this season will be guaranteed a spot next season in Code S. The other twenty four will have to battle it out against the very best from Code A. It will truly be a battle between heaven and hell as the demons from Code A try to claw their way up to the glorious top of the ladder. Will the Code S players prove that they deserve to be where they currently are and that this new system won't change the outlook of the GSL forever? Or will the players from Code A rise from their graves, grab hold of their prey and drag them down to hell?



So, what will it be: Heaven or Hell? It's time for the war to begin again...





Group A - Everyone Hates YuGiOh (Except John)



- The new champion! MMA proved he wasn't all hype when he defeated MVP at Blizzcon, beating him 4-1 and capturing the first title for himself and his team Slayers. The main question going into this group for MMA is if he has improved his TvP. His TvZ is S-class and his TvT is also above average, but his TvP in comparison to his other two match-ups has been awful. To be fair, we haven't seen MMA play a TvP in the GSL for almost three months, but he will have had to improve his TvP greatly to catch up to his other match-ups. Luckily for MMA, he has more than likely the weakest player in Code S for his first match in his best match-up - agaisnt his teammate YuGiOh - before moving on to face Ryung or MC. MMA has shown he can beat Ryung before, and MC fell all the way to Code B last season before getting a second chance at life after getting the automatic Code S seed at MLG Orlando.



- What the hell did poor YuGiOh do to deserve this? After spending an entire year in Code A, trying his very best to get to the top of the mountain, he finally gets there and suddenly gets picked first by his very own teammate. Not only that, but MMA also told MVP that YuGiOh would be a good first pick if he fell to him. What did YuGiOh do to MMA to get this treatment? The entire group selections felt like a gigantic YuGiOh roast party with everyone taking jabs at how bad he is. Even when the players took their seats, waiting to see who everyone would pick, YuGiOh was the only Slayers player not to sit with the rest. YuGiOh isn't a terrible player and surely deserves a chance after trying for so long to get into Code S, but it's going to a difficult task to even get third in the group. He will need to use his very best trap... you know where this is going.



- After falling completely out of GSL last month, MC fought his way through the bracket at MLG Orlando and secured his Code S spot after beating his teammate TheStC in the semifinals. Now, with this second chance, what will MC show us? Will he show us the dominant player that inspires fear at foreign tournaments, taking down Koreans and crushing most foreigners? Or will he show us the MC that got taken out in the first round of Code A last season and looked like he could be gone from the GSL for a very long time? MC got probably one of the best groups he could have hoped for; MMA and Ryung are both below average at TvP, and YuGiOh is probably the weakest player in Code S this season. If MC was going to crush his way through a group, this would be a good one to do it in. There is always the chance that he turns back into the player that lost to Monster last season, but I'll trust in the Protoss President for one more term.



- It must really suck to be Ryung. Not only did Boxer's favorite son go on to win the first title for Slayers and defeat MVP at the biggest GSL of all-time, but Ganzi also had an impressive showing last season by getting into the semifinals before falling to MVP. Ryung, on the other hand, looked like he was going to make another deep run in the GSL before falling in the first round of knockout phase to Clide in his best match-up of TvT. Now he is put into a group with MMA and has to face MC in his weakest match-up in the first set. Ryung is a tricky person to place; sometimes he can show play that makes you think he is one of the better players in the world, but then he can also play awful at times and make you wonder how some fool managed to place him



What Group A Would Be For Halloween MMA - Boxer



YuGiOh - John the Translator



MC - Zombie Abraham Lincoln



Ryung - MMA (so Boxer will finally notice him)



Predictions: 1. MC, 2. MMA, 3. Ryung, 4. YuGiOh







Group B - Nestea vs. sC 2: Artosis Boogaloo



- Nestea wants that fourth championship. He will do whatever it takes to be the first player to win a fourth title after MVP failed to do so at Blizzcon. The God of Zerg begins his journey for his fourth crown in Group B, paired against sC in his first match. The two had possibly the greatest series in GSL history, Nestea narrowly winning in the final set and then going on to humiliate Inca in the finals for his third title. Now, Nestea will have to beat him again and then worry about either Losira or asd. Professor Tea is still Professor Tea. He is the favorite in the group, and if he doesn't advance out of the group, it will be a big shock. He wasn't able to beat MVP in the Blizzcon Finals, but I only expect the loss to fuel his hunger for another GSL title even more.



- sC is finally back in the Code S after falling out a few seasons ago. What does he get for a welcome back present? Nestea. They had a great series the last time they played, but sC hasn't shown the same level of play he did in that series since the battle with Nestea and is still looking to get back to where he once was. When he lost to sC, he was one of the brightest rising stars in the GSL, and then he had to ruin that next season by picking MVP to be in his group and falling into Code A. He looked very good in his Up-and-Down group, only losing to Taeja, and his bio play looks as deadly as ever. He still doesn't seem to be fully recovered from his reoccurring pneunothorax, so it's hard to say what condition he's in right now. I don't have him favored against Nestea, but I think he has a good shot of taking down either Losira or asd if it comes down to those three for the second spot in the group.



- This is Losira's chance to prove that him getting to the finals two seasons ago wasn't a fluke. Last season he got to the knockout rounds before getting taken out 2-0 in the first round by his teammate Happy. Now, wanting to prove his ZvT has improved, he will be going up against asd in his first match. He has improved his ZvT from what it was months ago, but it is still by far his weakest match-up and will always be his achilles heel while the entire Code S is made up entirely of Terrans. Losira is good enough to make it out of the group, but he will have to do it by beating a Terran. I don't think he can beat Nestea in a ZvZ, so he will more than likely have to beat two Terrans to make it out. Can he do it?



- asd is one of the most underrated players in the GSL. He isn't very flashy or dominant when he wins, but he knows how to get it done. He took MMA to a third set last season before getting beat and has shown good games throughout his two seasons in the GSL. In this group, I expect him to be the wild card. I wouldn't put him as a favorite against Nestea, sC, or even Losira, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he gets out of the group by beating Losira and sC. Beating Nestea would be a surprise, but asd has shown that he can't be counted out against anyone he is facing. Losira's ZvT isn't the greatest, so look out for asd possibly beating him and being one win away from getting out of the group. Still, FXOasd doesn't sound as cool as asdfOu.



What Group B Would Be For Halloween Nestea - Albert Einstein



sC - Mule holding gold minerals



Losira - Cat



asd - Elmo from Sesame Street (so he can teach everyone the alphabet)



Predictions: 1. NesTea, 2. sC, 3. asd, 4. LosirA







Group D - Wait, Ensnare? He's Still In Code S?



- Coming off a semifinal appearance last season, the Slayers Terran is looking for his first Code S final in November. Ganzi was impressive in his first season in the GSL, making it all the way to the semifinals before losing in four games to the three time champion MVP. Having won a Code A championship the season before last, Ganzi is on quite a roll, showing everyone that MMA isn't the only Terran to be feared on Slayers. This season, he will be matched up against Ensnare in his first match. I still have no clue how Ensnare has survived this long in Code S, but I have to give him credit for always hanging on and never falling into Code A. Even so, Ganzi should be able to beat him with his superior TvT and go on to face either Polt or Leenock for the first seed in the group. Ganzi beat Leenock last season in a memorable match, and with his TvZ being his best match-up, he could very well go 2-0 if him and Leenock have a rematch.



- ...How are you still here? Every single GSL I predict you to go 0-2 and fall down to Code A, but you never do. How do you do it? What is this magical power that allows you to stay alive in Code S while people like MVP, MC, and MarineKing have all fallen down? Let me make this clear, I don't think Ensnare is a bad player, but I'm just shocked on how well he is able to survive in the volatile environment that is Code S. So, the question is, do I think he'll survive this tournament and somehow making the quarterfinals, assuring himself another spot in Code S next season? No, I think Ganzi, Polt and Leenock are all better players and should beat him. He should go 0-2. He SHOULD be out of the Code S by next week.



...Yeah, he's totally going 2-0 and winning this tournament. Dammit.



- :Leenock proved he deserved to be in Code S last season, getting to the knockout rounds before losing to Ganzi in a difficult three game series. The young Zerg has all the makings of a future GSL champion, but he'll have to keep his nerves in check and be able to deal with the immense pressure that comes with getting deeper in tournaments. His ZvT is still very good, so in a group with three Terrans, it will be very difficult to see a way where Leenock goes 0-2. With July leaving for the army in the next year, I propose that July has a passing of the torch to Leenock. The God of War needs someone to carry on the legacy when he is gone, and who would be better to do so than a kid who looks like a mini July? All hail the Prince of War! His banelings will bust your depots before you even have a chance to notice!



- You expect me to hype up Polt and say he is going to 2-0 this group, don't you? (Yes) You think I'm going to talk about how intelligent he is and how no one in this group is on his level. Well, if you think that, then you are wrong! Polt is a great player and one of the best Terrans in Korea, but this will be a hard group to get out of. Leenock's ZvT is one of the best in Korea, and Polt's TvZ really hasn't been tested that often in the GSL, but when it has, it hasn't looked to be as good as his other two match-ups. I would favor Polt heavily against Ensnare if they met, but him versus Ganzi would be very interesting. Both love to be hyper aggressive early and know precise timings to attack. If it comes down to those two for a spot in the round of sixteen, it really could be a coin flip depending on what build orders they use. Polt has the ability to 2-0 this group and storm into the next round, but I wouldn't be shocked to see him lose to Leenock or Ganzi. All three are highly skilled and with Leenock's best match-up on display, they all have an equal chance of getting out of the group.



What Group D Would Be For Halloween Ganzi - Soldier



Ensnare - World of Warcraft Paladin



Leenock - Baneling



Polt - Phoenix Wright



Predictions: 1. Leenock, 2. Polt, 3. GanZi, 4. Ensnare







Group H - No One Leaves This Group Alive



- Well, he did lose the GSL final against MMA in surprising fashion, only taking one game off the Slayers ace, but he also won $50,000 the next day, beating his teammate Nestea for 5,756th time in the past year. So, all in all, not a bad Blizzcon for MVP. He didn't win his fourth GSL championship, but he did walk away with more money than most Starcraft players make in their careers in two days time. Even with the loss to MMA, he should be considered the heavy favorite in the group. MarineKing is very good, but he also hasn't been the sharpest in the TvT department lately; Curious hasn't lost in what feels like for whatever, but that was Code A and this is MVP; Alive...is, well, Alive. I expect MVP to 2-0 his group and march onto another deep run in the GSL tournament, more than likely knocking Nestea out along the way before the finals.



- I find Alive underrated by a lot of people and think he has untapped potential that we haven't seen, but he is and should be considered the gigantic underdog in a group with three monsters. He is going to need the best games he has ever shown in the GSL to get out of this group and avoid Code A. Watching Alive's TvT games, he's quite solid and has good mechanics, but will that really be enough to take on the best Terran in the world? His TvZ is his strongest match-up, but unfortunately that might not mean much when facing the buzz saw that is Curious. For Alive to stay out of the bottom of this group, he's going to need to bring something very special to the table when he faces MVP, Curious and MarineKing.



- He is 23-1 in his last twenty four games. He went through the entire Code A tournament without dropping a game. He dismantled Oz in the finals and made him look like a Code B-level player, when in all actuality, Oz is a Code S-level Protoss who was just unlucky to run into Curious. Before he turned into the new monster Zerg, Curious was laughed at by Tastosis for being picked every team league match for Startale and then disappointing them by losing in embarrassing fashion. Ever since their teasing, he has been crushing every nerd in sight and isn't looking to stop anytime soon. To me, he is the most interesting player in this tournament. How good is Curious? He ran through Code A, but is he good enough to hang with the MVP's and Nestea's of Code S? If he can, DongRaeGu better watch out, because Curious might be the hottest new Zerg on the block.



- Hello, MarineKing! How did you enjoy your stay in Orlando? Have fun? Meet any new friends? Well, welcome back to the GSL and enjoy this group. You get to have fun with your old friend MVP who has stopped you in two GSL finals and this new guy named Curious who has been wrecking everyone he faces. I hope that the wand Milkis bought you is actually real and can perform some sort of magic that makes MVP and Curious play terrible when you meet them in the booth. If we're truly going to gauge Curious' actual power level, MarineKing should be a good litmus test. His TvZ is still his strongest match-up and one of the best in the world. If MarineKing can get past Curious in the first game, I think MarineKing will get out of the group. I don't think either MarineKing or Curious can take down MVP, so it will come down to those two to see who advances.



What Group H Would Be For Halloween MVP - Bisu



Alive - Invisible Man



Curious - Godzilla



MarineKing - The Silver Surfer



Predictions: 1. MVP, 2. MarineKing, 3. Curious, 4. aLive











Next week: The other groups previewed and a look at Code A



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After a long break (an entire week!) that has surely given you Tastosis withdrawals, the GSL returns with its November season.With this article coming out on Halloween, you might think that demons and evil spirits might be the scariest thing coming into this season, but no monster could be more frightening for the current crop of Code S players than the new format that was announced at the group selections. In a matter of four games, a player could go from the high and luxurious class of Code S to the hell known as Code B. For these players to keep their spot in the hierarchy of the GSL, they will have to combat the oncoming horde of zombies that are making their way through Code A.Only the top eight from this season will be guaranteed a spot next season in Code S. The other twenty four will have to battle it out against the very best from Code A. It will truly be a battle between heaven and hell as the demons from Code A try to claw their way up to the glorious top of the ladder. Will the Code S players prove that they deserve to be where they currently are and that this new system won't change the outlook of the GSL forever? Or will the players from Code A rise from their graves, grab hold of their prey and drag them down to hell?So, what will it be: Heaven or Hell? It's time for the war to begin again... SlayerS_MMA - The new champion! MMA proved he wasn't all hype when he defeated MVP at Blizzcon, beating him 4-1 and capturing the first title for himself and his team Slayers. The main question going into this group for MMA is if he has improved his TvP. His TvZ is S-class and his TvT is also above average, but his TvP in comparison to his other two match-ups has been awful. To be fair, we haven't seen MMA play a TvP in the GSL for almost three months, but he will have had to improve his TvP greatly to catch up to his other match-ups. Luckily for MMA, he has more than likely the weakest player in Code S for his first match in his best match-up - agaisnt his teammate YuGiOh - before moving on to face Ryung or MC. MMA has shown he can beat Ryung before, and MC fell all the way to Code B last season before getting a second chance at life after getting the automatic Code S seed at MLG Orlando. SlayerS_YuGiOh - What the hell did poor YuGiOh do to deserve this? After spending an entire year in Code A, trying his very best to get to the top of the mountain, he finally gets there and suddenly gets picked first by his very own teammate. Not only that, but MMA also told MVP that YuGiOh would be a good first pick if he fell to him. What did YuGiOh do to MMA to get this treatment? The entire group selections felt like a gigantic YuGiOh roast party with everyone taking jabs at how bad he is. Even when the players took their seats, waiting to see who everyone would pick, YuGiOh was the only Slayers player not to sit with the rest. YuGiOh isn't a terrible player and surely deserves a chance after trying for so long to get into Code S, but it's going to a difficult task to even get third in the group. He will need to use his very best trap... you know where this is going. oGs.MC - After falling completely out of GSL last month, MC fought his way through the bracket at MLG Orlando and secured his Code S spot after beating his teammate TheStC in the semifinals. Now, with this second chance, what will MC show us? Will he show us the dominant player that inspires fear at foreign tournaments, taking down Koreans and crushing most foreigners? Or will he show us the MC that got taken out in the first round of Code A last season and looked like he could be gone from the GSL for a very long time? MC got probably one of the best groups he could have hoped for; MMA and Ryung are both below average at TvP, and YuGiOh is probably the weakest player in Code S this season. If MC was going to crush his way through a group, this would be a good one to do it in. There is always the chance that he turns back into the player that lost to Monster last season, but I'll trust in the Protoss President for one more term. SlayerS_Ryung - It must really suck to be Ryung. Not only did Boxer's favorite son go on to win the first title for Slayers and defeat MVP at the biggest GSL of all-time, but Ganzi also had an impressive showing last season by getting into the semifinals before falling to MVP. Ryung, on the other hand, looked like he was going to make another deep run in the GSL before falling in the first round of knockout phase to Clide in his best match-up of TvT. Now he is put into a group with MMA and has to face MC in his weakest match-up in the first set. Ryung is a tricky person to place; sometimes he can show play that makes you think he is one of the better players in the world, but then he can also play awful at times and make you wonder how some fool managed to place him fourth in the GSL Power Rankings . This is a big tournament for Ryung. He will either prove that he shouldn't be known as the Forgotten Son of the Emperor, or, well, he will be entirely forgotten once and for all in Code S. Out of the four players in this group, I think a fall to Code A would be the hardest on Ryung. IMNesTea - Nestea wants that fourth championship. He will do whatever it takes to be the first player to win a fourth title after MVP failed to do so at Blizzcon. The God of Zerg begins his journey for his fourth crown in Group B, paired against sC in his first match. The two had possibly the greatest series in GSL history, Nestea narrowly winning in the final set and then going on to humiliate Inca in the finals for his third title. Now, Nestea will have to beat him again and then worry about either Losira or asd. Professor Tea is still Professor Tea. He is the favorite in the group, and if he doesn't advance out of the group, it will be a big shock. He wasn't able to beat MVP in the Blizzcon Finals, but I only expect the loss to fuel his hunger for another GSL title even more. MVP_sC - sC is finally back in the Code S after falling out a few seasons ago. What does he get for a welcome back present? Nestea. They had a great series the last time they played, but sC hasn't shown the same level of play he did in that series since the battle with Nestea and is still looking to get back to where he once was. When he lost to sC, he was one of the brightest rising stars in the GSL, and then he had to ruin that next season by picking MVP to be in his group and falling into Code A. He looked very good in his Up-and-Down group, only losing to Taeja, and his bio play looks as deadly as ever. He still doesn't seem to be fully recovered from his reoccurring pneunothorax, so it's hard to say what condition he's in right now. I don't have him favored against Nestea, but I think he has a good shot of taking down either Losira or asd if it comes down to those three for the second spot in the group. IMLosirA - This is Losira's chance to prove that him getting to the finals two seasons ago wasn't a fluke. Last season he got to the knockout rounds before getting taken out 2-0 in the first round by his teammate Happy. Now, wanting to prove his ZvT has improved, he will be going up against asd in his first match. He has improved his ZvT from what it was months ago, but it is still by far his weakest match-up and will always be his achilles heel while the entire Code S is made up entirely of Terrans. Losira is good enough to make it out of the group, but he will have to do it by beating a Terran. I don't think he can beat Nestea in a ZvZ, so he will more than likely have to beat two Terrans to make it out. Can he do it? FXO_asd - asd is one of the most underrated players in the GSL. He isn't very flashy or dominant when he wins, but he knows how to get it done. He took MMA to a third set last season before getting beat and has shown good games throughout his two seasons in the GSL. In this group, I expect him to be the wild card. I wouldn't put him as a favorite against Nestea, sC, or even Losira, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he gets out of the group by beating Losira and sC. Beating Nestea would be a surprise, but asd has shown that he can't be counted out against anyone he is facing. Losira's ZvT isn't the greatest, so look out for asd possibly beating him and being one win away from getting out of the group. Still, FXOasd doesn't sound as cool as asdfOu. SlayerS_GanZi - Coming off a semifinal appearance last season, the Slayers Terran is looking for his first Code S final in November. Ganzi was impressive in his first season in the GSL, making it all the way to the semifinals before losing in four games to the three time champion MVP. Having won a Code A championship the season before last, Ganzi is on quite a roll, showing everyone that MMA isn't the only Terran to be feared on Slayers. This season, he will be matched up against Ensnare in his first match. I still have no clue how Ensnare has survived this long in Code S, but I have to give him credit for always hanging on and never falling into Code A. Even so, Ganzi should be able to beat him with his superior TvT and go on to face either Polt or Leenock for the first seed in the group. Ganzi beat Leenock last season in a memorable match, and with his TvZ being his best match-up, he could very well go 2-0 if him and Leenock have a rematch. oGs.Ensnare - ...How are you still here? Every single GSL I predict you to go 0-2 and fall down to Code A, but you never do. How do you do it? What is this magical power that allows you to stay alive in Code S while people like MVP, MC, and MarineKing have all fallen down? Let me make this clear, I don't think Ensnare is a bad player, but I'm just shocked on how well he is able to survive in the volatile environment that is Code S. So, the question is, do I think he'll survive this tournament and somehow making the quarterfinals, assuring himself another spot in Code S next season? No, I think Ganzi, Polt and Leenock are all better players and should beat him. He should go 0-2. He SHOULD be out of the Code S by next week....Yeah, he's totally going 2-0 and winning this tournament. FXO_Leenock - :Leenock proved he deserved to be in Code S last season, getting to the knockout rounds before losing to Ganzi in a difficult three game series. The young Zerg has all the makings of a future GSL champion, but he'll have to keep his nerves in check and be able to deal with the immense pressure that comes with getting deeper in tournaments. His ZvT is still very good, so in a group with three Terrans, it will be very difficult to see a way where Leenock goes 0-2. With July leaving for the army in the next year, I propose that July has a passing of the torch to Leenock. The God of War needs someone to carry on the legacy when he is gone, and who would be better to do so than a kid who looks like a mini July? All hail the Prince of War! His banelings will bust your depots before you even have a chance to notice! TSL_Polt - You expect me to hype up Polt and say he is going to 2-0 this group, don't you?You think I'm going to talk about how intelligent he is and how no one in this group is on his level. Well, if you think that, then you are wrong! Polt is a great player and one of the best Terrans in Korea, but this will be a hard group to get out of. Leenock's ZvT is one of the best in Korea, and Polt's TvZ really hasn't been tested that often in the GSL, but when it has, it hasn't looked to be as good as his other two match-ups. I would favor Polt heavily against Ensnare if they met, but him versus Ganzi would be very interesting. Both love to be hyper aggressive early and know precise timings to attack. If it comes down to those two for a spot in the round of sixteen, it really could be a coin flip depending on what build orders they use. Polt has the ability to 2-0 this group and storm into the next round, but I wouldn't be shocked to see him lose to Leenock or Ganzi. All three are highly skilled and with Leenock's best match-up on display, they all have an equal chance of getting out of the group. IMMVP - Well, he did lose the GSL final against MMA in surprising fashion, only taking one game off the Slayers ace, but he also won $50,000 the next day, beating his teammate Nestea for 5,756th time in the past year. So, all in all, not a bad Blizzcon for MVP. He didn't win his fourth GSL championship, but he did walk away with more money than most Starcraft players make in their careers in two days time. Even with the loss to MMA, he should be considered the heavy favorite in the group. MarineKing is very good, but he also hasn't been the sharpest in the TvT department lately; Curious hasn't lost in what feels like for whatever, but that was Code A and this is MVP; Alive...is, well, Alive. I expect MVP to 2-0 his group and march onto another deep run in the GSL tournament, more than likely knocking Nestea out along the way before the finals. TSL_aLive - I find Alive underrated by a lot of people and think he has untapped potential that we haven't seen, but he is and should be considered the gigantic underdog in a group with three monsters. He is going to need the best games he has ever shown in the GSL to get out of this group and avoid Code A. Watching Alive's TvT games, he's quite solid and has good mechanics, but will that really be enough to take on the best Terran in the world? His TvZ is his strongest match-up, but unfortunately that might not mean much when facing the buzz saw that is Curious. For Alive to stay out of the bottom of this group, he's going to need to bring something very special to the table when he faces MVP, Curious and MarineKing. ST_Curious - He is 23-1 in his last twenty four games. He went through the entire Code A tournament without dropping a game. He dismantled Oz in the finals and made him look like a Code B-level player, when in all actuality, Oz is a Code S-level Protoss who was just unlucky to run into Curious. Before he turned into the new monster Zerg, Curious was laughed at by Tastosis for being picked every team league match for Startale and then disappointing them by losing in embarrassing fashion. Ever since their teasing, he has been crushing every nerd in sight and isn't looking to stop anytime soon. To me, he is the most interesting player in this tournament. How good is Curious? He ran through Code A, but is he good enough to hang with the MVP's and Nestea's of Code S? If he can, DongRaeGu better watch out, because Curious might be the hottest new Zerg on the block. MarineKingPrime - Hello, MarineKing! How did you enjoy your stay in Orlando? Have fun? Meet any new friends? Well, welcome back to the GSL and enjoy this group. You get to have fun with your old friend MVP who has stopped you in two GSL finals and this new guy named Curious who has been wrecking everyone he faces. I hope that the wand Milkis bought you is actually real and can perform some sort of magic that makes MVP and Curious play terrible when you meet them in the booth. If we're truly going to gauge Curious' actual power level, MarineKing should be a good litmus test. His TvZ is still his strongest match-up and one of the best in the world. If MarineKing can get past Curious in the first game, I think MarineKing will get out of the group. I don't think either MarineKing or Curious can take down MVP, so it will come down to those two to see who advances.









Writers: Fionn and WaxAngel.

Graphics and Art: disciple, fishuu, Lip the Pencilboy, and SilverskY.

Editor: WaxAngel Administrator Hey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?