ajtls over HayprO in first GosuCup qualifier final

GosuGamers brings you our first NVIDIA GosuCup qualifier winner: Nick "ajtls" De Cesare.

Congratulations on winning the match, could you tell us how you experienced the final games?
- Thanks, well I figured after I beat MorroW that I shouldn't have been nervous for the last games, but oddly enough my nerves acted up. I planned to just use my reaper strategy in every game, but due to some nerves and not playing versus European zergs often, I got a bit worried after game 2, but luckily I was able to pull it out.

- I think I was just lucky that Hayder probably wasn't prepared for it. I was friendly with Hayder in StarCraft 1, and since there was a delay in the finals, I talked to Artosis and some other zergs to ask about Hayder's playstyle and what I should do. They all just told me to relax and that my playstyle should catch him really off guard and I should win easy. So that sort of helped relax me going into the series. But I have a lot of respect for Hayder, from StarCraft 1especially.

Tell us more about your reaper strategy!
- Well I started with Terran basically when StarCraft 2 came out, as I picked up beta just before it ended, and I was playing protoss throughout it. Then once the game came out, I decided I would carry over my harassive StarCraft 1 playstyle and try to add in play styles that no other Terrans were using.

- I saw a lot of posts about reapers being underused, same with ghosts. After noticing I can micro even roaches down, I decided I would go 1-reaper with nitro packs first every single TvZ I play, into fast expand, into 4-barracks pure reaper. If they do go roach, the first two reapers will see it, and I can easily bunker and maurauder. I practiced my reaper micro a lot, so roach off creep I micro down easy, just the safest and best opening I think. I follow it up with ghosts to counter muta, and add in cloak if they get infestor.

What do you have to say about the said imbalance in Terran versus Zerg?
- It's really clear that Terran has a slight advantage, and I put emphasis on "slight". It's just that at the very top levels, like in Brood War, a "slight" advantage is enough for such top level Terrans to make it a nightmare for the Zerg. Although, I've said countless times concerning StarCraft 1: If we played it now without knowing how powerful defilers were, wouldn't we cry "TvZ imba"? The key is in infestors and nydus - that's my honest opinion.

So you're saying zergs aren't using infestors and nydus enough?
- I think they aren't using their race to the fullest. Infestors can stall, and they basically have the "storm drop" of StarCraft 1, since 2 fungal growths kill SCVs. Zergs need to learn to abuse infestors to stall - like dark swarm. And also burrowed roach regen, to play guerilla warfare. I think nyduses being used like a pylon for warpgates is also crucial. Overseers contaminate needs to see more play too.

What are your expectations in the playoffs? Aside from yourself and HayprO, we saw Socke and HuK advance just yesterday.
- Well, I've only played HuK a few times, I don't really wanna make comments on him really. I don't watch VODs or replays that aren't intotherainbow or IdrA, so I haven't seen much of him. I just know he's renowned for all-in and cheesy play, but I also saw he beat TT1 after being behind. Socke... I've played and I don't think he's on the same level as HuK, TT1 etc.

Where do you see yourself in the upcoming future for StarCraft 2? Are you under a team contract?
- That's a really funny situation for me actually, I've been approached by a few teams, but I'm in a rough spot to pick one. And it's all related to things going on in my personal life that make the decision so hard. As for StarCraft 2, I've already reached out to people whom have connections in Korea, and I plan to do with this game what I didn't with Brood War, I plan to take it all the way. The game couldn't have come out a better time, I'm still very young, and with that, I can continue to play this game for many years.

- I have ambitions to try to "lead" the foreign Terran scene with my good friend MorroW, who I think is the best European Terran in terms of fundamentals, economics, and just understanding. I hope to catch up in experience, as I know I'm bad right now. And by "bad" I mean, I am making a conscious effort in my games to remind myself to push my APM back up to 300~400 range, as I believe it's going to be needed. I can't tell you how many times I get so angry at my hands for not moving at the speed I want, and not allowing me to multitask, since my hands have "slowed down" to SC2's user-friendly-mechanics.
I guess I should also mention that I reverted back to "classic" hotkeys, to force my hands to move faster, and keep my mental reflexs up. Better for training, plus I don't think it has any negative effect.

You made quite a name of yourself in StarCraft 1, but maybe not with the best of methods. How do you look back on that time?
- I was an idiot (laughs). I heard how Chill [TeamLiquid.net moderator] was making references to some of my troll posts, and just the idiot behavior I had years ago. So being bored, I searched my username on TeamLiquid and looked at all my old posts... I was such an idiot, and I guess I still am in some senses. I can get pretty tempermental. I think we all can. I've done my best to repair my image. I've been helping out players, attending many offline LANs, even did first-person-streaming.

- Once I get better in StarCraft 2, I will continue to help out the lesser players, because I remember being a "nobody" and looking up to Testie, and making a comment about how the amazing players like him never helped the community. I won't let myself become like that, plus I owe it to the community to give back, for what I did. I always had to make sure I had admins from iCCup solidifying things though, like when people would accuse me of hacking or abusing. It was really annoying in the year of 2009. But I'd say that was my best year for Brood War, and my reputation. I gained a lot of great friends, and repaired my reputation a ton. I'd say 90% of people have either forgiven me, or just don't care anymore. I can't blame people.

- And honestly, TeamLiquid and GosuGamers had the right way to "reinforce" discipline on my attitude and personality. So I owe the community a lot of thanks for that, seriously.

Is there anything else you would like to say to the community before we end this interview?
- Yeah, even if people don't want to believe me, I really am thankful for any shit i've been given, even if I've responded really poorly. I would like nothing better at this point to jsut continue my slow-push towards rebuilding my reputation, and to gain more friends. I can still be a fucking idiot and bad manner at times, as can everyone, but I have to accept the flame I get, it's only normal.

- And more so, to anyone that stuck by me even through it all, and/or eventually gave me a second - or more like tenth - chance, through all my hard years, it really means so much to me. StarCraft is my love and my passion. I'll make it right this time. I have to.