| ladyumbra Canada. May 29 2012 07:39. Posts 1650 | Profile Blog # |
It's GSTL season again my friends and this time LG-IM-SK will be the ones holding the trophy at the end. Alphabet soup name aside things are looking good for the original GSTL winners and their plus one.
Why I believe
Incredible Miracle is no stranger to getting team league results.
2011
GSTL 1: 1st Going 13:6 in maps overall.
GSTL 2: 2nd Going 12: 6 in maps overall.
Partnered with Quantic at the time they were the Champions of the first ever IPL team arena challenge and IM players contributed 15 of the teams eventual 20 map wins.
IM has proven in the past that they know how to wield their team's roster such a way as to secure victory. "Winners win" as the saying goes and IM knows a lot about winning. MC for his part delivered a fair number of wins for oGs during his time with them.
In addition to this LG-IM-SK has 5 players in code S and 4 in code A. From relative new comers like First to old hats like MVP the team is firing on all cylinders and their momentum is undeniable. Never before has so much of skill and style been on display as with this truly momentous partnership.
The Miracle workers
YongHwa has long been "that guy", the one who can't make it into code A to save his life but who brings it home in the team leagues. A good all rounder YongHwa seems to be comfortable no matter where in the lineup IM places him and currently sits at a record of 22-12 in team leagues for them. When you can fell players like Prime's Maru and Byun even the Artosis hype curse can't hold you back forever. A solid protoss with a bag of tricks hidden up each sleeve, we're bound to see some entertaining games from YongHwa this season.
Losira is a code A winner, code S runner up and an all killer of Zenex and NSHS. The famous catzerg is a damn good teamleaguer and one of IM's most reliable players. Losira is usually played later in a series either as a vZ sniper or because it's time to bring out the big guns and his 18-8 record shows he rarely disappoints. A more aggressive zerg than his mentor Nestea, Losira is not afraid to take the fight to the enemy and that usually means some banelings right in your face. Drop play, nydus play, macro or cheese, Losira can do everything, all the while grinning like the Cheshire cat. Should he feel like it Losira may also grace us with a ceremony either in game or outside the booth. He can be adorably BM when he wishes although that has gotten him into trouble before.
While he can hold his own in individual leagues Losira is a staple of IM's team league roster because he's equally solid and dependable there.
Yoda is yet another of IM's players who can pull out the all kill and isn't afraid to be aggressive and creative. With a 22:13 record he's the team's most dependable Terran. Some may not approve of his tendency to play risky or all-in but it gets the job done and that's what counts. Like YongHwa, Yoda fits into the lineup just about anywhere.
Rounding out the regulars is Happy. A fairly solid Terran he is often referred to as mini MVP. Of the four horsemen on IM's regular lineup he has the worst record at a mere 16:14. Nevertheless Happy sees frequent play and rarely goes out before taking someone down with him. Happy has great TvZ just like his mentor and adds to the team's ability to snipe zergs with relative ease. Lately though Happy has been turning even his worst matchup vT into something that's no sweat. Slayers own TvT sniper Ryung fell to him in last season's code A and endangered elephant fOrGG was dispatched quickly thereafter.
As Khaldor recently learned you can never count this former code s semi-finalist out. When put in tight spots Happy stays calm under pressure, lulling you into a false sense of security before almost inexplicably reversing the situation. A player who doesn't hesitate to capitalize on his opponents flaws Happy is stronger than his record shows.
Never doubt the heart of a champion
MVP
Over 300k in winnings, 4 Code S titles, champion of WCG, MLG Anaheim and Blizzcon, MVP arguably is the most highly skilled and successful player to date. While his body continues to try and fail him MVP remains strong, always finding ways to push through and win when it really counts. MVP can get the job done if he's fielded and sheer intimidation factor is likely to help against anyone he faces. MVP has more builds and tiny variations there of than any player bar MKP and facing him is incredibly difficult. Few players have proven they have the skill to pick apart his brain, fewer still can do it on the fly. Good builds and great decision making will be MVP's key strengths this season and with them we will see just how much of his old unstoppable self can be brought to bare.
Nestea
Nestea is the only player to have never missed the start of a code S season, he has been in the GSL since the very beginning and refused to falter like so many others have in the past. A 3 time code S champion he is also one of those players who understands how to eke out little advantages and turn them into dominating victories. Nestea's greatest weapon is his mind, he is incredibly good at reading his opponents, at using mindgames and choosing the best build or strategy for a given situation. Most players would never use mass contaminate to halt production in a ZvZ and turn a losing battle in their favor. Most players would never come up with rushing lair so they could creep drop and plant spines to kill a FFE. Nestea wins unwinnable baseraces with a handful of mutas and burrowed banes. He sees something others simply cannot and his consistency is due in equal parts to his physical ability to perform insane tasks and his mind's ability to process everything that must be done for his plans to work.
Nestea is a smart and solid* Zerg and he knows it, as do his opponents which like MVP gives him an intimidation factor. Given that he's been doing rather well lately with third places at both IPL4 and Iron squid I'd say any appearances by Nestea should give his opponents serious cause for concern.
* Zergbong moments don't count as those appear to be some sort of uncontrollable supernatural phenomenon to balance out how unfairly awesome Nestea is.
MC
The boss toss is back! Fresh off his first American tournament victory and looking good SK.MC is going to be the one to beat. Like his brethren above MC is a multi time code S champion. A man who could likely plaster his apartment walls with giant checks is not one to be underestimated. MC is one of those players dangerous because they are the complete package. In a long macro game he can multitask with the best of them, attacking from multiple fronts while harassing with warprisms and forcing his opponents into making fatal mistakes. He can also all-in like pro and ignores any flak he gets for doing so because a win is a win. It has been said that MC has an eye for the weaknesses of others and that he simply knows when to strike. In addition to that MC cannot simply be mimicked, the protoss president has stellar control that allows him to pull off risky builds which would be suicide for a lesser player.
MC will be looking for weaknesses every time he enters the booth in the GSTL and there is no such thing as a flawless person.
****
Not to be underestimated either is the sheer amount of experience the three champions bring to the table. Whether they are in the booth or merely practicing with teammates their knowledge is invaluable. Other teams will be hard pressed to outsmart and outplan the minds that achieved a combined 9 GSL championships.
Not to be forgotten
IM has a large stable of players that may or may not get seen this GSTL season.
Seed is back in code S for the second season in a row and looks to show his skill both there and in the GSTL. Having recently defeated MVP's Finale, Keen. Sniper and Monster in the KSL there's no doubt that Seed is one to watch should Coach Kang feel the need to use him. Seed is seen just a little less than YongHwa but is no less capable than his fellow protoss teammate. Known for some fancy hallucination trickery, Seed should not be underestimated in either team or individual leagues.
True & Horror are IM's lesser known zergs which is unfortunate as they usually put up solid performances when called upon. Did you know True has a better teamleague record for IM than Nestea does, or that Horror has beaten players like Huk and Jinro in the EWM?
Ready, First and Dreamertt are also going to be sitting on the bench eagerly awaiting their chance to shine.
Ready is back in code A this season, taking down fnatic Moon and Slayers Min in his quest to regain that spot. Used sometimes as a starter Ready has shown a willingess to lead the charge for his team.
First is a former member of KT Rolster, going by the name of Anyppi back then. New to IM this year he has already qualified for code A by taking down players like Fxo Lucky and Luvsic. Defeating classic prime for IM in the ksl it's clear that First needs no time to catch up to his senior team mates.
Dreamertt was responsible for taking down MVP Tails & DRG in the IPL TAC and fell just short of making it back to code A this season.
Each of these players has contributed several wins in the past during one team league or another and are decent players in their own right. They lack the consistency and notoriety of those featured in other sections but there's no time like the present to change that. With so many strong players vying for air time you can be assured that when the coach chooses to field one of these guys it's because they are more than prepared to show why they deserve to be the one defending their team's honour.
One last thing
No team is complete without a coach. Kang Dong Hoon's decisions may not always be what fans would like but he knows his players better than we do. Coach Kang was responsible for leading IM to victory in the past and he can do it again. With IM having just gained a big new sponser in LG and being partnered with SK a lot is on the line right now. I think we will see very carefully crafted lineups this season with every player's full potential being utilized. Somewhere in Coach Kang's mind is the key to victory, we need only have faith that he will choose to use it.
LG-IM-SK is a team with a lot of talent, a lot of depth and an unprecedented amount of star power at it's disposal. With all they have going for them victory in the upcoming GSTL is assured!
* Pictures belong to original creators
* Records include GSTL, IPL TAC and KSLLast edit: 2012-05-29 10:31:37 |
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| catplanetcatplanet May 29 2012 07:43. Posts 2276 | Profile Blog # |
Nice post! See ought to be featured, but I guess he hasn't done too much in teamleagues yet.
It'll be an incredible miracle if IM doesn't win. They look so stacked. |
| | sparta op gg no re | Life | Avenge | Pet | White-Ra | Founder of Life fanclub | |  |
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| NuclearJudas May 29 2012 07:43. Posts 4288 | Profile Blog # |
| Can't wait for the coach to throw away the entire season again. |
| | QuanticCenter Fan Club!: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387494 | Life is like Tetris. Your errors pile up but your accomplishments disappear. - Robert Ohlén | http://railroaddiary.wordpress.com/ - My words about stuff. |  |
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| DarkPlasmaBall United States. May 29 2012 07:44. Posts 20101 | Profile Blog # |
On May 29 2012 07:43 NuclearJudas wrote:
Can't wait for the coach to throw away the entire season again.
Really does need to be replaced by Artosis (coachtosis?), but the team is just insanely good, especially with the Big Three (Mvp, Nestea, MC). |
| | "Those who can, teach. Those who can't, whine about teachers." ~Me |  |
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| ssg United States. May 29 2012 07:47. Posts 1339 | Profile # |
| There is no way they should lose a match if the big three are all available. |
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 dragonborn May 29 2012 07:50. Posts 3757 | Profile # |
On May 29 2012 07:47 ssg wrote:
There is no way they should lose a match if the big three are all available.
There is.
His name is Kang Dong Hoon.
On May 29 2012 07:43 NuclearJudas wrote:
Can't wait for the coach to throw away the entire season again.
lolol. |
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| MONXY FIST United States. May 29 2012 07:51. Posts 142 | Profile # |
On May 29 2012 07:47 ssg wrote:
There is no way they should lose a match if the big three are all available.
The big three hasn't exactly played all that well in team leagues in the past. |
| | None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear. |  |
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| Koshi Belgium. May 29 2012 07:54. Posts 7114 | Profile Blog # |
| IM stop disappointing and win it all please. |
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| `Zapdos United States. May 29 2012 07:55. Posts 934 | Profile Blog # |
| How did the coach throw away an entire season? |
| | www.twitch.tv/thezapdos come watch me :] |  |
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| MangoMountain Norway. May 29 2012 07:55. Posts 1907 | Profile # |
| Even the IM coach couldn't possibly mess this one up. |
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| Bagration United States. May 29 2012 07:59. Posts 11502 | Profile Blog # |
| 9 GSL titles, over 900k in total winnings across the entire team. Sweet sword of Tassadar, that's impressive |
| | Team Slayers, Axiom and Vile forever |  |
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 bkrow Australia. May 29 2012 07:59. Posts 8386 | Profile Blog # |
| To be honest, as much of a vicious Mvp fanboy I am, i just struggle to see IM winning this. The "Big 3" just don't really shine in team leagues. Nestea doesn't like them nor performs well during them and Mvp has damaged wrists which can't be in a good way after going the full stretch in the GSL (Champion Baby!) In saying that, they definitely look like the most capable team, i really hope they pull it out! |
| | In The Rear With The Gear .. *giggle* /////////// cobra-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!!!! |  |
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| bittman Australia. May 29 2012 07:59. Posts 7434 | Profile # |
Part of these hype trains is to give some info on the lesser players. The ZENEX thread for example is awesome because there are players I've never heard of that I hope to see.
If you can, would really like to see the rest of the lineup included. At least Seed, I mean that dude is in Code S. |
| | Mvp - Leenock - Dongraegu - MC - Gumiho - Keen - Polt - Squirtle - Jjakji - Genius - Seed - Life - sC || LG-IM - MVP - FXO |  |
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| Aerisky United States. May 29 2012 08:00. Posts 9557 | Profile Blog # |
Hahaha nice post. MC, Nestea, and MVP all on one team "why isn't this banned" is hilarious XD
Edit: though they're not known for their team league performance, yarLast edit: 2012-05-29 08:01:00 |
| | "It has always been in my observation of human nature, that a man who has any good reason to believe in himself never flourishes himself before the faces of other people in order that they may believe in him." |  |
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| minilance Canada. May 29 2012 08:01. Posts 420 | Profile # | |
| | Protoss 4 ever <3 | |
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| NuclearJudas May 29 2012 08:02. Posts 4288 | Profile Blog # |
On May 29 2012 07:55 `Zapdos wrote:
How did the coach throw away an entire season?
I don't have any specific examples at the top of my head, but he's done some serious snafus over the last season, like sacrificing 3 Protosses in a row to a vP specialist or something along those lines. He's just not very reliable as a tactical leader. |
| | QuanticCenter Fan Club!: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387494 | Life is like Tetris. Your errors pile up but your accomplishments disappear. - Robert Ohlén | http://railroaddiary.wordpress.com/ - My words about stuff. | |
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| jhlee820 May 29 2012 08:02. Posts 128 | Profile # |
Great post, but the lack of Seed in this thread was sad. He showed some cool hallucination play a while ago (can't remember when, but I think it was on more than one occasion) and is in code S now. IM seems to be in excellent form with the LG sponsor and getting a few more players through the code A qualifiers.
Edit: by lack of Seed, I meant that he should've gotten a pretty little picture like the other players and his own section and everythingLast edit: 2012-05-29 08:04:10 |
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| Mr Showtime United States. May 29 2012 08:03. Posts 1350 | Profile # |
| Lol, the undisputed best Protoss and top 3 Zerg and Terran. Sooooooo OP! |
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| SarcasmMonster May 29 2012 08:03. Posts 2907 | Profile # |
If god-forbid Slayers doesn't make it, I'll root for IM.
I just realized the joke in your title. Nice one  Last edit: 2012-05-29 08:05:52 |
| | MMA: The true King of Wings |
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| SimDawg United States. May 29 2012 08:05. Posts 1301 | Profile # |
| I think they could go 5v3 and still take the trophy. Not a team that exists at the moment that could take those guys out, even handicapped. |
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