Many contenders have left significant trails behind them after their appearance at the GSTL. Some played an amazing game or two over a heavy favourite and then disappeared but helping their team to win nonetheless. Others got famous because of all-kills. The third type showed consistent performance both in the team league and individual tournaments alike. In this first "East in Heaven" feature we take a look at all three types of GSTL phenomena, tracing their steps back from where they started up until where they end in regard to current performances.
5. IM_Seed and SlayerS_Taeja
If you haven't watched GSTL closely you probably would not remember those two from the top of your head. But these guys have impressed me more that I would imagine.
IM_Seed made his one and only appearance in GSTL February and haven't played a single televised game since. Thus, if you are now asking yourselves why the hell is he even mentioned, you are probably forgetting what this youngster actually accomplished. Seed is responsible for Incredible Miracle's victory over Old Generations in the first GSTL and when the two rosters met right in the first round of the tournament and journalists, casters and fans were quick to say that "this could very well be the grand final of GSTL". Both teams had tutored GSL champions but apart from NesTea and MVP, IM's line-up did not look as scary as oGs's, the latter hosting the best protoss in the world MC, the Genius Terran Nada and the incredible terran quartet of TOP, Supernova, Ensnare and Hyperdub. With such a disbalance of power, games of epic proportions were expected.
Seed would have exactly none of that. The young protoss came out of freaking nowhere and won three games in a row, sending Hyperdub, TOP and Ensnare, all terrans that have taken part in at least six GSLs (Hyperdub, actually, has played in all of them), back to the bench. oGs had to call out MC to stop Seed's mad march towards an all-kill and if MC was not the PvP mastermind that he is, it would've probably ended bad for Old Generations. Even though Seed fell to the two-times champion (oh, well, no shame there), his 3-0 streak against one of the strongest teams in the world is definitely worth mentioning.
SlayerS_Taeja's achievement is not as impressive in my opinion but was hilarious as hell. Taeja is responsible for one of the three all-kills thus far in GSTL history and he did it... against his former team Zenex. I don't know if Cella suspected that Taeja would have little to no trouble going through Zero, Coca, Byun and Kyrix but even if he did, he was probably as surprised as I was.
Oh, and Taeja also had one of the best victory celebrations of all GSTL when he came out and "fired" a paper gauss rifle at his team's bench. I still wonder why wouldn't he shoot, you know, the opposing team but I guess all-killers possess certain peculiarities and like to have it their way.
4. ST_Squirtle
Sadly, ST_Squirtle has not been having consistently good results in the individual leagues recently. After the 2011 season of GSL started, Squirtle has been staying in Code A every single time and not being able to vault over the Ro16. He even failed to qualify for GSL July after he fell to Coca in the Ro32 of GSL May.
Despite this, Squirtle had an impressive run in GSTL February. He gave a fiery start to the tournament by opening it with the first ever team-kill in the first game of the league. Although it was done against the then very bad terran line-up of fOu, the all-kill remains a feat to be commemorated.
What is even more spectacular is Squirtle's game against none other than IM_MVP in the grand final of GSTL Febuary. Many people still consider it the best PvT (and possibly the best match overall) ever played in SC2, although the scene has seen A LOT for those four months that have passed. Our GosuGamers editor Soso even wrote a column, specifically dedicated to this match.
What made Squirtle's play extraordinary is not only that he beat the king of Terran MVP in his own macro game, or that he tied the series 4-4 to bring it to the last, decisive set. It was about the way Squirtle did it, snatching the victory by using almost every single protoss unit and even outmacroing the "Game Genie Terran" on one of the largest SC2 maps ever created. Squirtle's display of elegance with the protoss race put an end to many discussions regarding PvT while firing up new debates over undiscovered aspects of the match-up, as well as proving that macro maps are the way to go in StarCraft 2. But whether you watch the game for the timings, openings and strategic insights or just for the pure show, you do not end up disappointed.
3. IM_Losira
They call him the prince of Zerg, NesTea's apprentice. Along those terms, IM_Losira is indeed like the Anakin Skywalker of StarCraft 2 but is cuter, has a piano and is better at video games. Also, at MLG he proved that even if his keyboard hand gets chopped off by a lightsaber, he could still go head-to-head with those rebellious foreigners.
Going back to GSTL, Losira made his first appearance in February but his run was not as impressive as, say, Squirtle's. He did less than OK versus Zenex and attracted attention mainly due to his zergling /dance in his game against Bomber in IM vs ST. It was only in GSTL March when his talent would burst out as the young Zerg all-killed fOu with much ease and became the second person to score four in a row. Losira would later send IM to the grand final for the second time after prevailing over TSL_Trickster in the Ro4.
It was by that time that most people would recognize Losira as one of the most innovative young players in Korea. The prince of Zerg brought some new, fragile and yet extremely efficient ZvP strats like mass banelings in mid-game combined with overlord drops. He would later refine and polish this style by including infestor timings to create one of the most potent army compositions in ZvP.
Losira's story in GSTL ended with the March finals as his team would not qualify for GSTL May but Losira was already on the way to accomplish one of the most impressive runs of individual accomplishments. Just prior to the March team league, he came out as a Code A champion and then would earn a Code S spot, reach the Ro8 and later win a silver medal at MLG Columbus. Losira is someone that everyone should follow if only to catch up with this guy's amazing talent development.
2. MVPDongRaeGu
NO ONE knew who MVPDongRaeGu was before he made an appearance in last season's GSTL. But DRG is a true child of the team league: we haven't seen him anywhere outside of that yet** but when he steps in the booth it is a real treat for the Zerg fans out there (and StarCraft ones in general, too).
DRG was unleashed as an ace sniper in MVP vs Prime in the Ro8. He would show up in the the decisive set to roflstomp over one of the most accomplished terrans in Korea - MarineKingPrime. But that would not be all the talented player had to show. DongRaeGu was sent as a last resort in MVP vs oGs in the Ro4, crushing through Nada, SuperNova and even team's ace, the God Protoss MC, the latter actually trying to intimidate DRG by slapping his booth window. In three sets, DRG delivered one of the most impossible and unbelievable comebacks in GSTL history thus far, sending his team of ultimate underdogs to meet SlayerS in the finals.
Sadly, DongRaeGu could not repeat this incredible feat and won only a single set against Ryung and barely lost to MMA but when the latter received the "Most valuable player" award I was in a vocal protest. After all, MMA brought only three victories for Slayers and we already knew that he was a beast. DRG accomplished the impossible and carried his team to the silver medals, almost all by himself. Furthermore, he just slapped down the elite terrans of Slayers in the opening match of GSTL July to get his revenge! There are grand things ahead of this Zerg, believe you me.
** - Unless you read an article by an absent-minded author who forgot that DRG actually won the LG Cinema 3D League, snatching $9,000. Thanks to OlleB for the correction
1. SlayerS_MMA
Who else, man, who else? You can write a ton about SlayerS_MMA and still not cover all the amazing things he has done for SlayerS. He was known as Jjob by the time the first GSTL started and immediately became the hero of his team, almost pulling them back after a 0-3 start. However, Slayers fell to Zenex and MMA had to wait for the next month to make another stand.
And what a stand it was. The ace of Slayers went through MC, July, Squirtle, Curious and MVP to put his team on the top and win the first ever "Most valuable player" award. MMA would perform incredibly once again in May, winning the final two sets vs fOu and stopping DongRaeGu's ZvT onslaught in the grand final. Once again, MMA carried Slayers to victory, winning a second "MVP" title, although, as mentioned above, it should have probably been awarded to the newcomer of the month!
Although he started as a GSTLer, MMA's individual career is just as impressive. Most recently, MMA won the Columbus gold, proving that he has no trouble beating Koreans and foreigners alike, and finished second at the GSL Super tournament right below PoltPrime. And yet, somehow, MMA is still struggling in Code A but who knows - maybe the July seasons would bring him even more successes, both for Slayers and himself.
What is YOUR top 5 of GSTL heroes? Tell us in the comments!
5. IM_Seed and SlayerS_Taeja
If you haven't watched GSTL closely you probably would not remember those two from the top of your head. But these guys have impressed me more that I would imagine.
IM_Seed made his one and only appearance in GSTL February and haven't played a single televised game since. Thus, if you are now asking yourselves why the hell is he even mentioned, you are probably forgetting what this youngster actually accomplished. Seed is responsible for Incredible Miracle's victory over Old Generations in the first GSTL and when the two rosters met right in the first round of the tournament and journalists, casters and fans were quick to say that "this could very well be the grand final of GSTL". Both teams had tutored GSL champions but apart from NesTea and MVP, IM's line-up did not look as scary as oGs's, the latter hosting the best protoss in the world MC, the Genius Terran Nada and the incredible terran quartet of TOP, Supernova, Ensnare and Hyperdub. With such a disbalance of power, games of epic proportions were expected.
Seed would have exactly none of that. The young protoss came out of freaking nowhere and won three games in a row, sending Hyperdub, TOP and Ensnare, all terrans that have taken part in at least six GSLs (Hyperdub, actually, has played in all of them), back to the bench. oGs had to call out MC to stop Seed's mad march towards an all-kill and if MC was not the PvP mastermind that he is, it would've probably ended bad for Old Generations. Even though Seed fell to the two-times champion (oh, well, no shame there), his 3-0 streak against one of the strongest teams in the world is definitely worth mentioning.
SlayerS_Taeja's achievement is not as impressive in my opinion but was hilarious as hell. Taeja is responsible for one of the three all-kills thus far in GSTL history and he did it... against his former team Zenex. I don't know if Cella suspected that Taeja would have little to no trouble going through Zero, Coca, Byun and Kyrix but even if he did, he was probably as surprised as I was.
Oh, and Taeja also had one of the best victory celebrations of all GSTL when he came out and "fired" a paper gauss rifle at his team's bench. I still wonder why wouldn't he shoot, you know, the opposing team but I guess all-killers possess certain peculiarities and like to have it their way.
4. ST_Squirtle
Sadly, ST_Squirtle has not been having consistently good results in the individual leagues recently. After the 2011 season of GSL started, Squirtle has been staying in Code A every single time and not being able to vault over the Ro16. He even failed to qualify for GSL July after he fell to Coca in the Ro32 of GSL May.
Despite this, Squirtle had an impressive run in GSTL February. He gave a fiery start to the tournament by opening it with the first ever team-kill in the first game of the league. Although it was done against the then very bad terran line-up of fOu, the all-kill remains a feat to be commemorated.
What is even more spectacular is Squirtle's game against none other than IM_MVP in the grand final of GSTL Febuary. Many people still consider it the best PvT (and possibly the best match overall) ever played in SC2, although the scene has seen A LOT for those four months that have passed. Our GosuGamers editor Soso even wrote a column, specifically dedicated to this match.
What made Squirtle's play extraordinary is not only that he beat the king of Terran MVP in his own macro game, or that he tied the series 4-4 to bring it to the last, decisive set. It was about the way Squirtle did it, snatching the victory by using almost every single protoss unit and even outmacroing the "Game Genie Terran" on one of the largest SC2 maps ever created. Squirtle's display of elegance with the protoss race put an end to many discussions regarding PvT while firing up new debates over undiscovered aspects of the match-up, as well as proving that macro maps are the way to go in StarCraft 2. But whether you watch the game for the timings, openings and strategic insights or just for the pure show, you do not end up disappointed.
3. IM_Losira
They call him the prince of Zerg, NesTea's apprentice. Along those terms, IM_Losira is indeed like the Anakin Skywalker of StarCraft 2 but is cuter, has a piano and is better at video games. Also, at MLG he proved that even if his keyboard hand gets chopped off by a lightsaber, he could still go head-to-head with those rebellious foreigners.
Going back to GSTL, Losira made his first appearance in February but his run was not as impressive as, say, Squirtle's. He did less than OK versus Zenex and attracted attention mainly due to his zergling /dance in his game against Bomber in IM vs ST. It was only in GSTL March when his talent would burst out as the young Zerg all-killed fOu with much ease and became the second person to score four in a row. Losira would later send IM to the grand final for the second time after prevailing over TSL_Trickster in the Ro4.
It was by that time that most people would recognize Losira as one of the most innovative young players in Korea. The prince of Zerg brought some new, fragile and yet extremely efficient ZvP strats like mass banelings in mid-game combined with overlord drops. He would later refine and polish this style by including infestor timings to create one of the most potent army compositions in ZvP.
Losira's story in GSTL ended with the March finals as his team would not qualify for GSTL May but Losira was already on the way to accomplish one of the most impressive runs of individual accomplishments. Just prior to the March team league, he came out as a Code A champion and then would earn a Code S spot, reach the Ro8 and later win a silver medal at MLG Columbus. Losira is someone that everyone should follow if only to catch up with this guy's amazing talent development.
2. MVPDongRaeGu
NO ONE knew who MVPDongRaeGu was before he made an appearance in last season's GSTL. But DRG is a true child of the team league: we haven't seen him anywhere outside of that yet** but when he steps in the booth it is a real treat for the Zerg fans out there (and StarCraft ones in general, too).
DRG was unleashed as an ace sniper in MVP vs Prime in the Ro8. He would show up in the the decisive set to roflstomp over one of the most accomplished terrans in Korea - MarineKingPrime. But that would not be all the talented player had to show. DongRaeGu was sent as a last resort in MVP vs oGs in the Ro4, crushing through Nada, SuperNova and even team's ace, the God Protoss MC, the latter actually trying to intimidate DRG by slapping his booth window. In three sets, DRG delivered one of the most impossible and unbelievable comebacks in GSTL history thus far, sending his team of ultimate underdogs to meet SlayerS in the finals.
Sadly, DongRaeGu could not repeat this incredible feat and won only a single set against Ryung and barely lost to MMA but when the latter received the "Most valuable player" award I was in a vocal protest. After all, MMA brought only three victories for Slayers and we already knew that he was a beast. DRG accomplished the impossible and carried his team to the silver medals, almost all by himself. Furthermore, he just slapped down the elite terrans of Slayers in the opening match of GSTL July to get his revenge! There are grand things ahead of this Zerg, believe you me.
** - Unless you read an article by an absent-minded author who forgot that DRG actually won the LG Cinema 3D League, snatching $9,000. Thanks to OlleB for the correction
1. SlayerS_MMA
Who else, man, who else? You can write a ton about SlayerS_MMA and still not cover all the amazing things he has done for SlayerS. He was known as Jjob by the time the first GSTL started and immediately became the hero of his team, almost pulling them back after a 0-3 start. However, Slayers fell to Zenex and MMA had to wait for the next month to make another stand.
And what a stand it was. The ace of Slayers went through MC, July, Squirtle, Curious and MVP to put his team on the top and win the first ever "Most valuable player" award. MMA would perform incredibly once again in May, winning the final two sets vs fOu and stopping DongRaeGu's ZvT onslaught in the grand final. Once again, MMA carried Slayers to victory, winning a second "MVP" title, although, as mentioned above, it should have probably been awarded to the newcomer of the month!
Although he started as a GSTLer, MMA's individual career is just as impressive. Most recently, MMA won the Columbus gold, proving that he has no trouble beating Koreans and foreigners alike, and finished second at the GSL Super tournament right below PoltPrime. And yet, somehow, MMA is still struggling in Code A but who knows - maybe the July seasons would bring him even more successes, both for Slayers and himself.
What is YOUR top 5 of GSTL heroes? Tell us in the comments!
