Auction OSL - Ro8 Day 3 Preview

Flying vs MC

Its that time again, time for a OSL PvP. To many people, this match will feel like a rehash of last weeks Parting vs Rain. To be fair, we have quite similar circumstances, a Kespa pro, unproven in PvP, facing a time tested code S veteran. On the right, we have Flying, a player who has exactly 8 PvP matches in SC2, all of them but one in Proleague and the other against Partig. . On the left MC who is 36 -19 in PvP matches against extremely strong players, including Oz, Hero and Squirtle. In the Ro8, all matches are Bo5, so no matter how cheesy and aggressive things get, I expect the better player to win out.

When I talked about the Ro8, I referred to some "faceless" protoss, but Flying isn't "faceless" as much as "unknown". Even in BW he just wasn't one of the top players, never having done extremely well in any individual leagues, despite some good play in PL. This is the furthest he has ever progressed in an OSL, and I expect Flying to want this victory more than anything else, to prove that he *is* that good, that he can play in an individual league and win. In that sense, MC would be foolish to disregard Flying's preparation. Flying's lack of broadcast PvP games is, in that sense, a double edged sword. MC will have nothing to study to prepare for Flying's PvP, while Flying has a ton of games of MC's he can watch. In a series like this, preparation is as important as nerves and initiative. While we may want to discount Flying's chances, I suggest everyone remember what happened last week with Rain vs Parting. Things may not be as clear cut as they appear.

MC is pretty much the opposite of a "faceless" protoss, being one of the quirkiest and most personable GSL players. His Murlock Dance being remembered by most as one of the highlights of providence. More close to OSL, MC showed up to the OSL group selection ceremony dressed as an undertaker. Other Protoss may be boring, but with MC you always have the guarantee of at least a little post game cheekiness, as well as some amusing games. MC has been favoring blink all ins of late, with some sentry usage to forcefield the ramp against defensive robo-immortal builds, so we can at least expect to see some tense blink micro. Honestly though, the games could run a gamut of possibilities. We might see principally all fast games, with robo builds facing off against blink builds, or we may have the fortune of seeing some heavier air games. Expect colossi no matter what.

The deck seems stacked in MC's favor, and there is no doubt, in my mind at least, that MC is favored in this series. This means that the ball is in Flying's court. Will he be inspired by Rain's performance last week? Will he lose his nerve when going against a player of MC's caliber in a protracted series, rather than a single game? It's all on how Flying prepares and what he brings to the table. Flying has simply played less PvP than MC, if he is to win, it's all going to depend on his preparation beating a more honed PvP gamesense. With any luck, we'll see two extremely good players going at it in a blazing PvP, with ferocious micro battles. If we are less lucky, we'll see Flying fall apart and get crushed. One thing is clear though, both players will be playing for keeps, MC with his bold declarations in the group selection ceremonies, and Flying with his history. This is less of a battle of Kespa vs GSL players and more of a battle of the new versus the old. In the end, I think MC will triumph, he just has too much experience and his PvP is just too good.

Prediction: MC 3 >1 Flying