After making its debut in Hanover last week, Heart of the Swarm and all its grandeur sets sail for North America. New players are to be tested, new stories are to be developed and answers to new strategies (and IEM WC did its best to exemplify a lot of those) are to be found. With the first MLG of 2013 just a few hours away, we turn our heads to the limitless plethora of content that will likely pour over the next three days.
And I guess all good things come in threes, don't they?
MLG Winter Championship coverage
Three matches that you don’t want to miss
Stephano vs Last
It is no secret that the Zerg sledgehammer came unprepared to IEM World Championship but in spite of all and by the powers of not giving a damn, he still managed to put up a good show. Not a Stephano-esque show, true, but more than a decent one nonetheless.
Now, the Frenchman takes flight towards MLG Winter Championship, hopefully with a full week of practice on his account. His match against Dream at Hanover is still fresh in people’s minds and if things develop similarly, we’re to be treated to another great ZvT. Furthermore, having single elimination as the former makes it all the more thrilling. A few mistakes and the foreign world might very well lose its biggest hope.
MarineKing vs Jjakji
As the only TvT in the Ro32 we’re kind of obligated to have it featured (and there haven’t been too much Terran mirrors around anyways so it’s extremely curious how the match-up looks like in Heart of the Swarm). The two have faced four times in total now and so far MarineKing has been having the upper position but this is all the better reason to watch Jjakji more closely.
After all, if he’s to start beating MarineKing, what better timing than being given a new battleground?
HuK vs Bogus
Speaking of new battlegrounds and personal resurgence, in comes HuK, the only foreigner to have won two MLGs in his time but someone who desperately needs to be put back on the scene. What’s unfortunate, though, is how grim everything looks for Chris. He faces Innovation – arguably the strongest KeSPA terran on the scene right now – in a match-up that is a very tough one for the Protoss race.
Yet this only makes things more interesting. True, if HuK falls it will be just another match that goes under the radar but what if he doesn’t? What if, against all odds, he makes the audience roar, delivers a grand upset, downs the Korean contingent by one and starts writing his renaissance story? What if a brand new MLG and a brand new game is everything HuK needs?
Three stories to look forward to
Old God, new God
It is no secret that a lot of comparison has been drawn between Flash and Life and the two really have a lot in common. From the young age at which they won their first title to the periods of total domination and being crowned Ultimate Champions, there’s a lot between those two that make them rivals.
Naturally, it’s not just similarity in stories that binds Flash and Life. Last MLG, Life stopped Flash from reaching the finals after coming from a 0-2 deficit to win the extended series and the entire tournament. In addition, their face-off during the HotS launch event is something we won’t soon forget so there’s all the more reason to sit in expectation that we’ll get to see those two against each other.
Which, of course, can only happen in the grand final and what a grand final it would be!
A country for old men
We’ve been saying for a while how Heart of the Swarm will come in to reset the scene and give chance for the KeSPA boys to shine. But then again, do they really need it anymore?
KeSPA comes as a conqueror of the last ever WoL GSL final, itself strong statement that they’re not going anywhere and will contest every trophy from here on tooth and nail. The question that this MLG must answer is has HotS made it easier for them in any way.
A total of five KeSPA players will fly to MLG and each and every one of them is scary as hell. There’s Last and his chance to destroy foreigners’ brightest warrior; hero[join] coming to end the Protoss legacy of MC that has won him so much money; Flash, who’s been growing stronger with each game played, getting dangerously closer to regaining his God status; PartinG who’s been trained by both eSF and KeSPA and is, well, the champion of the world (twice); and Innovation who likes to crush Code S players by not giving much damns.
KeSPA is truly here and there might not be stopping them.
Racial imbalance (and understanding what imbalance truly is)
MLG Winter Championship has the luck to come a week after IEM WC, the latter a tournament that pointed out the most evident flaws in both the game and the strategies. We know lessons have been learned but to what extent? Where does the thin line between imbalance and incorrect play lie? Are Void Rays really broken or are players simply engaging them foolishly? Have Protoss players found an answer to Widow Mines and Medivac drops in the past week? Who has the upper hand in ZvT, seeing how players, casters and community member all have different opinions on that?
IEM World Championship was certainly not enough to present a clear-cut thesis but combined with MLG Winter, we might at long last learn more about what needs fixing and what doesn’t and if the balance really is 9/10 as David Kim says.
Three units that everyone will hate
Void Rays
Zerg players already despite the new version of the Void Rays partially because they’re not used to seeing their Brood Lord armies melt in seconds (also, said Brood Lord armies have never been good in running away from stuff). Viewers, too, are not particularly fond of the unit because it’s the new reason for the PvZ match-up to be boring and passive in the late-game by greatly incentivizing turtling. Even Protoss players look at the unit with a bad eye as they’re limiting the opening options in the mirror.
Poor Void Rays, never have they enjoyed the deserved amount of affection.
Widow Mines
Mostly known as the counter to 90% of the Zerg army (as well as to every mineral line), expect the Widow Mine to be as hated as it’ll be popular. The only difference between it and the Void Ray is that viewers will actually enjoy it because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a unit that closely resembles the Spider Mine and can one-shot half of one’s army, reducing it to soup of pixelated blood and broken limbs.
Vipers
Because it’s the trendy “f*** you” to Colossus balls and well-positioned Siege Tank. Because it makes bio balls worthless if they make one wrong step. Because it’s a cool reincarnation of the defiler and because everyone already hates Infestors anyways and talking about them will be nothing new.
And because it’s a flying spellcaster and everyone hates dealing with those ever since the invention of Science Vessels.
And I guess all good things come in threes, don't they?
MLG Winter Championship coverage
Three matches that you don’t want to miss
Stephano vs Last
It is no secret that the Zerg sledgehammer came unprepared to IEM World Championship but in spite of all and by the powers of not giving a damn, he still managed to put up a good show. Not a Stephano-esque show, true, but more than a decent one nonetheless.
Now, the Frenchman takes flight towards MLG Winter Championship, hopefully with a full week of practice on his account. His match against Dream at Hanover is still fresh in people’s minds and if things develop similarly, we’re to be treated to another great ZvT. Furthermore, having single elimination as the former makes it all the more thrilling. A few mistakes and the foreign world might very well lose its biggest hope.
MarineKing vs Jjakji
As the only TvT in the Ro32 we’re kind of obligated to have it featured (and there haven’t been too much Terran mirrors around anyways so it’s extremely curious how the match-up looks like in Heart of the Swarm). The two have faced four times in total now and so far MarineKing has been having the upper position but this is all the better reason to watch Jjakji more closely.
After all, if he’s to start beating MarineKing, what better timing than being given a new battleground?
HuK vs Bogus
Speaking of new battlegrounds and personal resurgence, in comes HuK, the only foreigner to have won two MLGs in his time but someone who desperately needs to be put back on the scene. What’s unfortunate, though, is how grim everything looks for Chris. He faces Innovation – arguably the strongest KeSPA terran on the scene right now – in a match-up that is a very tough one for the Protoss race.
Yet this only makes things more interesting. True, if HuK falls it will be just another match that goes under the radar but what if he doesn’t? What if, against all odds, he makes the audience roar, delivers a grand upset, downs the Korean contingent by one and starts writing his renaissance story? What if a brand new MLG and a brand new game is everything HuK needs?
Three stories to look forward to
Old God, new God
It is no secret that a lot of comparison has been drawn between Flash and Life and the two really have a lot in common. From the young age at which they won their first title to the periods of total domination and being crowned Ultimate Champions, there’s a lot between those two that make them rivals.
Naturally, it’s not just similarity in stories that binds Flash and Life. Last MLG, Life stopped Flash from reaching the finals after coming from a 0-2 deficit to win the extended series and the entire tournament. In addition, their face-off during the HotS launch event is something we won’t soon forget so there’s all the more reason to sit in expectation that we’ll get to see those two against each other.
Which, of course, can only happen in the grand final and what a grand final it would be!
A country for old men
We’ve been saying for a while how Heart of the Swarm will come in to reset the scene and give chance for the KeSPA boys to shine. But then again, do they really need it anymore?
KeSPA comes as a conqueror of the last ever WoL GSL final, itself strong statement that they’re not going anywhere and will contest every trophy from here on tooth and nail. The question that this MLG must answer is has HotS made it easier for them in any way.
A total of five KeSPA players will fly to MLG and each and every one of them is scary as hell. There’s Last and his chance to destroy foreigners’ brightest warrior; hero[join] coming to end the Protoss legacy of MC that has won him so much money; Flash, who’s been growing stronger with each game played, getting dangerously closer to regaining his God status; PartinG who’s been trained by both eSF and KeSPA and is, well, the champion of the world (twice); and Innovation who likes to crush Code S players by not giving much damns.
KeSPA is truly here and there might not be stopping them.
Racial imbalance (and understanding what imbalance truly is)
MLG Winter Championship has the luck to come a week after IEM WC, the latter a tournament that pointed out the most evident flaws in both the game and the strategies. We know lessons have been learned but to what extent? Where does the thin line between imbalance and incorrect play lie? Are Void Rays really broken or are players simply engaging them foolishly? Have Protoss players found an answer to Widow Mines and Medivac drops in the past week? Who has the upper hand in ZvT, seeing how players, casters and community member all have different opinions on that?
IEM World Championship was certainly not enough to present a clear-cut thesis but combined with MLG Winter, we might at long last learn more about what needs fixing and what doesn’t and if the balance really is 9/10 as David Kim says.
Three units that everyone will hate
Void Rays
Zerg players already despite the new version of the Void Rays partially because they’re not used to seeing their Brood Lord armies melt in seconds (also, said Brood Lord armies have never been good in running away from stuff). Viewers, too, are not particularly fond of the unit because it’s the new reason for the PvZ match-up to be boring and passive in the late-game by greatly incentivizing turtling. Even Protoss players look at the unit with a bad eye as they’re limiting the opening options in the mirror.
Poor Void Rays, never have they enjoyed the deserved amount of affection.
Widow Mines
Mostly known as the counter to 90% of the Zerg army (as well as to every mineral line), expect the Widow Mine to be as hated as it’ll be popular. The only difference between it and the Void Ray is that viewers will actually enjoy it because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a unit that closely resembles the Spider Mine and can one-shot half of one’s army, reducing it to soup of pixelated blood and broken limbs.
Vipers
Because it’s the trendy “f*** you” to Colossus balls and well-positioned Siege Tank. Because it makes bio balls worthless if they make one wrong step. Because it’s a cool reincarnation of the defiler and because everyone already hates Infestors anyways and talking about them will be nothing new.
And because it’s a flying spellcaster and everyone hates dealing with those ever since the invention of Science Vessels.
