[Code A] Final Round - Day One Preview

We have made it to the final leg of another Code A season. No longer do we give a measly $1000 to the final man standing alongside an imaginary trophy, but instead we are left with twelve matches between twenty four players aiming to make it into Code S. Some are established players who believe their stop in Code A will be quick and painless; some are youthful hopefuls who are thankful to even have a chance to prove themselves; then there are the stars of the past who are fighting through slumps and trying to make the community remember why they were stars in the first place.

With the GSL and GSTL finals this weekend and the WCS Korea Prelims behind us, we will have eight of those twelve third stage Code A matches tonight and four tomorrow.


Premium Only

Quantic.TheStC vs. LG-IMMVP

Mvp's ideal outcome: Wow, Mvp's wrists are magically healed! Now with a fully functioning body, the four-time GSL champion goes into his best match-up statistically against TheStC and crushes him easily 2-0 to make it back into Code S.

TheStC's ideal outcome: TheStC preys on an injured champion, uses his TvT skills to cause a significant upset and forces Mvp to go through the Up-and-Down matches.

Prediction: Well, Mvp's wrists and body don't seem like they will magically heal from now until he plays against TheStC, but he still should be favored in the series. TheStC is a very good TvT'er, but he had a disappointing debut for Quantic in Code S this season and is only in the third round due to his former teammate ForGG withdrawing from the tournament. With Seed trying to gain IM's first Protoss title and Nestea already confirmed for his Code S spot next season, Mvp will try not to be left behind by his teammates.

MVP 2 - 0 TheStC


FXOGuMiho vs. ST_Squirtle

Gumiho's ideal outcome: He builds upon his win against Bomber last week and can force himself to focus on this match with the GSTL finals only a few days away. He uses his hectic multi-drop style to overwhelm Squirtle and is able to squeeze in another upset against one of Startale's best players to make it into another Code S season.

Squirtle's ideal outcome: Squirtle crushes Gumiho with some colossus laser breams, takes an easy 2-0 victory and gets some sweet revenge for his teammate Bomber.

Prediction: You can never, and I mean never, count out Gumiho. Last week against Bomber, a player most of the community thought he would lose to, he took the 2-1 victory and advanced to the final level of Code A. Gumiho has the skill to take down Squirtle, but it's going to be a much more difficult test than taking down Bomber. While Bomber is one of the most inconsistent players in the world, Squirtle is the runner-up of GSL last season and is still playing at a level that most Protoss could only dream of. Don't be too surprised if Gumiho makes this close, but you have to side with the turtle on this one.

Squirtle 2 - 1 Gumiho


EG.JYP vs. ST_Hack

JYP's ideal outcome: It doesn't matter if both matches are straight cheese from JYP. If he can beat two Terran players in back-to-back weeks in the GSL and qualify for Code S, it would be huge for his career. Having the stigma of being so bad in a match-up has weighed down how people perceive JYP, but wins against Thorzain and then Hack to make it back into Code S would give him a big confidence boost next season.

Hack's ideal outcome: A replay of last season's Code A games against Huk in Code A. He romps another EG Protoss, makes his first Code S in his career, and starts to build his claim that he is actually Startale's best Terran instead of Bomber. With his qualification for WCS Korea and his impressive first two rounds, you have to wonder if Hack isn't already the best Terran Startale has to offer.

Prediction: JYP is an outstanding PvZ player, and his victory over Thorzain in round two was impressive, but Hack is going to be a step up in competition. Hack is a great TvP player, coming in with major momentum from the WCS Korea Preliminaries.

Hack 2 - 0 JYP


TSL_HyuN vs. Genius

Hyun's ideal outcome: Build lots of lings. Makes those lines into banelings. Throw in some mutas. Throw everything at Genius. Somehow works. Hyun is Code S!

Genius' ideal outcome: Pictures Hyun as DongRaeGu, tries to recreate the Season One GSL Finals, and this time wins it. With his return into Code S, he finally signs with a foreign team and starts his road back to the finals once more.

Prediction: Hyun is always improving. Always practicing. Genius is noted to be one of the more lazy players when it comes to practicing, but his own knowledge of the game and genetic skills have been enough to make him still one of the better Protoss in the game. If this was two months ago, you would laugh and hand a 2-0 victory to Genius without blinking an eye. Now, however, Hyun has beaten Sniper 2-0 last week and is rapidly becoming a better player every time he steps into the booth. This is primed to be one of the better matches of the night, and it can go either way depending on how well Genius has been training without a team and how much Hyun's ZvP has grown in a short time.

Hyun 2 - 1 Genius


Regular Matches


ST_Suhosin vs. MarineKingPrime

Suhosin's ideal outcome: The same way he got into Code S, Suhosin goes for roach and baneling busts. MarineKing tries to play greedy like he accustomed to doing, and Suhosin is able to capitalize on it to take the major upset.

MarineKing's ideal outcome: MarineKing plays standard, outclasses Suhosin and waltzes to another Code S season with dreams of finally making it back to the quarterfinals after over a year from not being there.

Prediction: Suhosin isn't a bad player, and he has some great macro when it comes to it, but his micro has been his weak point in Code A and Code S. Against an average player, this might work a few times, but after showing his strategies the past season, MarineKing should be ready for Suhosin's early aggressive play. If it gets to the late-game, MarineKing should be able to take it 2-0 without much worry.

MarineKing 2 - 0 Line


coL.Heart vs. MVP.Keen

Heart's ideal outcome: After being known for straight up cheese for the past few seasons, Heart showcases some good macro games against a top Terran competitor and makes it into Code S for the first time in his career.

Keen's ideal outcome: Makes Artosis happy by going for his strong mech play in TvT and slowly rolls over the underdog Heart.

Prediction: Heart isn't as gimmicky and bad as some people think he is, but Keen is the more experienced GSL player with the better results at the moment. With his TSL4 qualification over Polt and Life, Keen has been showcasing stronger play ever since Nada got eliminated from the GSL and retired. With Nada finally gone from his life, no longer making it a living hell, Keen has been able to improve his once weak TvT and become one of the better mech players in the world against Terran. Heart is a player who has a hundred different wacky strategies up his sleeve, but if Keen can make it past the ten minute mark, he should win comfortably.

Keen 2 - 0 Heart


FnaticRC aLive vs. ST_PartinG

Alive's ideal outcome: Isn't tired from his plane trip back from New York City and is ready to play against the best PvT'er in the entire world. Learns from his mistakes that let First beat him at the Summer Arena and continues his above average record against Parting in competitive game.

Parting's ideal outcome:: Lots of storms killing marines.

Prediction: Along with Hyun vs. Genius and our final match of the night after this one, Alive vs. Parting is one of the premiere matches of the night. Parting might be considered the best PvT player on the planet, but Alive has actually had the most success against him than probably any other Terran on the planet. Whenever these two play, it seems like Alive simply has Parting's number and is able to come out on top. Parting is still one of the best Protoss out there and with Alive coming off a long flight from America, Parting is licking his chops to get a bit of payback against Fnatic's ace.

Parting 2 - 1 Alive


FXOLeenock vs. SlayerS_Ryung

Leenock's ideal outcome: Continues having the best week ever. Goes from helping his team reach the GSTL finals, to qualifying for WCS Korea, to now having a shot at making it back into Code S against a player he will more than likely face at Busan in the GSTL Finals. Leenock is finally shaking off that early year slump and is appearing to be back in form as the player we once thought had a shot of becoming the best Zerg in the world. Leenock beats through Ryung and makes a statement that Slayers is in big trouble come Busan.

Ryung's ideal outcome: Beats Leenock, Boxer comes out from nowhere and hands him a crown. With MMA maybe on his way out, Ryung is finally crowned the heir to the throne. He then hugs Boxer, confetti falls from the sky and everyone breaks into Gangnam Style with girls all converging on Ryung to be his new queen. MMA sheds a tear down in the Slayers prison.

Prediciton: While it would be nice to see Ryung take up the mantle from MMA and finally become Boxer's heir, Leenock is dismantling everyone. He has put his team on his back the past few weeks, told Choya that he will not be beaten, and has ripped the head off every player he has been put in front of. Both will more than likely make Code S next season with their skills, but Leenock is one sixteen-year-old you don't want to mess with at this point and time. Sorry, Ryung.

Leenock 2 - 1 Ryung