Auction OSL - Ro16 Day 4 Preview

DongRaeGu vs By.Rain - Entombed Valley

As the opening match of an exciting day four, DRG vs Rain features an impressive clash between two titans of their respective worlds, and could be a great chance for the rising KeSPA star to take a win from one of the best GSL competitors.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say his skill has declined, DongRaeGu has definitely looked vulnerable lately. Everyone knows of his unfortunate streak of losses in the GSL, GSTL, and WCS Korea, but it's important to note that it wasn't a very large sample size of games. We're so used to DRG performing in high-pressure situations, and it's a testament to his track record that just a few losses to fantastic players has whispers of "slump" heard 'round the forums. However, it's worth remembering that while DRG looked bad in his past few games, at the top level of play, a few small mistakes can be the difference between a superstar and an average Code S player. He's still at least a top 3 Zerg, and a smashing of JangBi last week was enough to stop us from worrying too much.

On the other side, if there's anyone from the KeSPA stable that should worry DRG, By.Rain is that player. Undoubtedly one of KeSPA's best representatives to date, Rain's track record includes a top eight* finish at WCS Korea and a stellar 15-8 record against KeSPA competition. Perhaps even more important to note is that Rain's WCS finish was entirely a result of four PvZ series wins against some of the best Zergs around - horror, Leenock, Jaedong, and Curious. While none of these players are quite up there with DRG, you could make a case for a couple being very close, and of Code S level at the very least. On the flip side, this means that Rain may have exhausted most or all of his PvZ playbook, and being completely unpredictable could perhaps have been a cause for some of the KeSPA players’ success thus far.

The map, Entombed Valley, clearly tips the balance a bit towards Rain, as it is possibly the best Protoss map currently in the pool. For me, that's enough to ride Rain's hype and impressive showings to predict a victory - the conditions are about as favorable as it gets for Rain, and this will be a perfect chance for the KeSPA elite to prove their worth.

DongRaeGu < By.Rain

*While he did technically finish top 6, his Ro8 match was a walkover over HerO, so it's hard to give him much credit for that.

Fantasy vs Oz- Ohana LE

Oz will be part two of Fantasy's proving grounds challenge and Fantasy will be riding high into this match after passing his first test over NesTea with flying colors.

Having participated in the most recent OSL finals, Fantasy's SC2 expertise is all the more impressive. Showing all the brilliance, multitasking, and mechanical skill of a Code S champion, Fantasy flattened NesTea last week in a fashion that was reminiscent of his spectacular Brood War TvP. This ability will certainly come in handy in a TvP this week against Oz, with a multitasking-heavy drop style having potential here as well. Even better, Fantasy boasts a scary 8-1 Proleague record, with the only loss being a bit of a surprise against to Stork in his second match. While Fantasy has ridden somewhat under the radar despite his success, all eyes will be on him to perform in this important group stage match, with a victory likely to ensure his advance to the Ro8.

His opponent, FnaticRC's Oz, will have the unfortunate task of attempting to halt the stampeding elephant. Oz's PvT hasn't exactly impressed as of late - falling to TheStC, Ryung, YoDa, and teammate Rain since his victory over Mvp in the ODT. PvT has never been a strong suit for Oz and he'll certainly be preparing hard to not embarrass himself in a scary and important match here in week two. A loss wouldn't be totally crushing for Oz as his week one match was postponed due to troubles returning home, so he'll still have plenty of opportunity to make it through, but he certainly won't be taking this lightly.

The map, Ohana, shouldn't be too much of a factor in this match, despite it being Bo1. Oz clearly has his work cut out for him, and I'd have to pick Fantasy as the favorite coming into this match. Fantasy's SC2 play has shown little weakness thus far and he's an extremely dangerous opponent for a Protoss player that has shown more than his fair share of weaknesses as of late. Expect Fantasy to come out with guns blazing and Oz desperately doing what he can to put out the fire.

Fantasy > Oz

PartinG vs Flying - Antiga Shipyard 1.2

PvP between KeSPA and GSL players is perhaps the hardest thing to predict in SC2 currently, with the gameplay being stylistically unique between the two sectors and the matchup continuing to be as volatile as ever.

PartinG's PvP has been, well, as good as you can expect of the average Code S player as of late. Honestly, it's hard to stand out from the field of Korean PvPers, with them trading series and rarely distancing themselves from the pack. A third place finish at WCS Korea was indeed impressive from PartinG, but it's almost impossible to guess what he'll bring to this match.

Flying is, if anything, even more of a mystery. With a 3-3 PvP record thus far in KeSPA competitions, it's impossible to say whether Flying will fall to a difficult Code S competitor or rise to the occasion with something special. A win over Mvp last week certainly was impressive, as is his 5-0 PvT record, but PvP is still quite unpredictable between the best players in the world. It would be interesting to see something new or unique out of Flying, and it certainly isn't out of the question considering the KeSPA players' ability to prepare for a Bo1.

Overall, PartinG has to be favored purely based on his track record, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Flying take a victory and advance 2-0 over two solid Code S GSL players.

PartinG > Flying

BeSt vs Flash - Daybreak

A marquee matchup for the KeSPA fans, OSL closes day four with a clash of Brood War titans who have met many times before on the battlefield. Two of the best from the final few years of Korean BW, Best and Flash are no strangers, with fourteen encounters leaving an 8-6 score-line in favor of the KT Terran. Both known for macro heavy styles, meetings between the two have often spanned the entire map, with multiple armies trades a feature of many exciting games.

BeSt has looked solid thus far in SC2 competition, holding his own in Proleague and through the OSL qualifiers, despite not qualifying for either WCS or WCG Korea. It's still hard to say what he truly brings to the table, as he's relatively unproven in KeSPA competition and almost completely untested against GSL opponents. On current evidence Best can most generously be described as good, but nothing spectacular.

Flash, on the other hand, has shown both flashes of brilliance and plenty of weakness. Despite underwhelming Proleague performances and a failure to qualify for WCS and WCG Korea, Flash dominated the KeSPA invitational at Anaheim and is still often sent out as KT's ace. Cited as one of the scariest players, a solid victory over San last week showed that he does have what it takes to keep up with GSL players, despite San not being the toughest of competition. We still are giving Flash the benefit of the doubt and expecting that his RTS greatness will shine through in SC2; his talent and dedication is unquestionable.

The map, Daybreak, is the perfect battleground for these two macro-oriented players. If they live up to their potential, we could see a sensational game of back-and-forth PvT that will extend the legacy of these fantastic players and excite us about what is to come. The KeSPA mystique hasn't entirely worn off despite a few months of broadcast games, so it's still hard to pick a clear favorite, but I’ll still give Flash the benefit of the doubt with both players having very similar track records.

BeSt < Flash