[Code S] RO32 Group A Preview

*Sorry about the temporary season two graphics

Liquid`HerO, GhostKingPrime, LG-IMSeed, Startale_Curious

The reigning champion usually kicks off the proceedings in a new Code S season, but this tournament will be starting off a bit differently with the now four-time champion Mvp slated to play on the fourth day of games. With the champion not at MLG or participating at any other tournaments this weekend, it's safe to assume that after putting four trophies on his mantle and making an incredible come-back in the most epic Code S final ever, Mvp has the power to reschedule GomTV groups, if not move entire continents with his mind.

So, with the king waiting in the wings, it's up to Liquid`HerO to welcome in the new season and prove that last season's semifinal run wasn't a one time fluke. After getting past former teammate and now roommate Supernova in the quarterfinals without dropping a single set, things were looking good for a Liquid player to make the finals. Sadly, Squirtle didn't get the memo, destroyed both Liquid players in Taeja and Hero by an overall score of 6 - 0.

Even though he wasn't the champion or even runner-up last season, Hero couldn't have really asked for a better group. Sure, all three players he will potentially have to face are very good and have the ability to get out of the group, but he wasn't drawn into a group of death with a former champion or the scary Royal Road Duo of this season in Symbol or Creator. The fact is, all Code S groups are really tough now, but at least HerO got one that's a tiny, tiny bit easy. If Hero can get matched up with Curious at any point in his group, his past success against the ST Zerg and his all around amazing PvZ will give him an edge in that match-up. The other two opponents might be more of a 55/45 or even 50/50 split on who could win, but Hero has been rapidly improving as he gains more confidence he gains in the GOM booth.

Speaking of confidence, after a year of being absent from Code S, The Progamer Formerly Known as ZeNEXByun has made it back as GhostKingPrime. It seems so long ago that GhostKing was on ZeNex and impressing everyone with his mech play in the summer seasons of Code S. With big victories over Mvp, Nada and a miraculous comeback from two games down against Bomber, he wasn't only the next big Terran on the block, but was a favorite to even take a championship. Then, in the blink of an eye, he got 3-0'ed by Losira in the semifinals of the July season, fell out of Code S the very next go around, and after moving from ZeNex to Prime, got suspended for months with Coca due to their involvement in the Korean Weekly scandal.

Now, after fighting his way back from the very bottom of Code B, GhostKing seems to ultimately have been able to put everything in the past behind him and isn't looking back. He contributed strongly in Prime's first GSTL championship, and he got past his Up and Down matches without a hitch. He already showed he could handle the Code S stage one year ago, and that could make him the most dangerous player in this group. Often praised by MarineKing as not being only a great Terran, but the best Terran on the team including himself, GhostKing has a lot of people believing in his team house that he can put something special together this season.

Compared to the first two players, LG-IMSeed has a slightly different story. While Hero and GhostKing have proven they can go deep into Code S and perform well foreign tournaments, it's still a mystery as to how good Seed really is. Yes, everyone who makes it into Code S is good, and he was one of the first players to take GSTL by storm, but is that good enough to make it out of a group where he might be the underdog in all three matches?

He got through the Up and Down matches, but when looking at who he got past to get out of there, you can see that it wasn't the hardest road. Tree, Zenio and Hack are no pushovers and are solid Code A players, but besides Zenio (who hasn't done much in Code S since the summer of last year), would you consider any of those guys a solid Code S level guy? The only Code S level opponent he had to face in the Up and Down matches was MC and he lost that game, getting outsmarted by the two-time GSL champion and veteran of Code S. This isn't to say Seed can't show us amazing games or get out of the group, but he's going to be tested harshly in this group.

Finally, closing out this pool, we have the always stone faced Startale_Curious. On one hand, you want to discount his chances and say that after the fifth or so Code S season where he hasn't gone very far, he isn't a top Zerg and will never challenge for a title. But, on the other, you can't forget his amazing run in Code A where he didn't lose a single map the entire season and absolutely mauled Oz in the finals. Peers have said that he is one of the top Zergs in the world and sometimes in GSTL he has shown this, but it isn't enough when he hasn't even made it to the quarterfinals yet after winning Code A last October.

A lot like teammate Bomber who has been given chance after chance to prove his true place in the hierarchy of the GSL, this might be Curious last chance to keep himself in the discussion. With Symbol rising faster than maybe even MMA and DRG before him, Life right behind him and other Zergs like Sniper starting to make names for themselves, Curious' time is now or never. A quarterfinal run this season and his name can still be thrown around in the talk of top five Zergs in the world, but anything less and the new names of the Swarm will overrun him into semi-obscurity.


Overall outlook and prediction

To put it bluntly, everyone in this group has something to prove. Hero wants to make everyone know that his semifinal run wasn't a mirage, and that getting destroyed by Squirtle in the semifinals was more of an indicator of how good Squirtle is at PvP. GhostKing wants to prove the confident words by his teammates on how good he is, and he wants to make an amends for his scandal that put his career on a long hold. Seed is still looking for his first marquee win in the GSL and getting out of this group would be a good first stop on solidifying himself as a Code S level Protoss. Curious, after eating up Code A, has been treading water in Code S. Time is slowly running out before he gets taken over by players like Symbol and Life, so it's time to show he can get far in this tournament.

GhostKing > Hero
Seed > Curious
GhostKing > Seed
Hero > Curious
Hero > Seed

GhostKing and HerO advance.