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StarCraft 27 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

GSL Group B Preview

Logo: AfreecaTV

Though 2017 has only just started, it is already full steam ahead for AfreecaTV's StarCraft related projects. Being the only tournament organiser to run two parallel StarLeagues, one in StarCraft 1 – the ASL, and one in StarCraft 2 – the GSL, the company is confident in the longevity of the franchise and its future in Korea. And despite the nay-sayers and doom prophets, the flotsam and jetsam of any gaming community, the growing number of supporters who regularly show up at the studio to cheer for their cherished players may very well contradict the notion that the scene is in decline.

 

Still reeling from the blows suffered in October 2016, when StarCraft Proleague was discontinued and most major Korean StarCraft teams, save for Jin Air Green Wings, were disbanded, progamers are under an increased amount of pressure to deliver results. That in turn amounts to greater instability and unpredictability of the scene. As harsh as it may sound, viewers at long last have a chance to see the underdogs perform well and reach tournament stages, which have hitherto remained elusive. And the theory stands, as the opening day of the season produced an unexpected outcome, with Zest and Rogue being eliminated from the competition, whilst Bunny and Keen reigned supreme.

 

.herO0-00-0
.NightMare0-00-0
.Maru0-00-0
.GuMiho0-00-0

 

 

herO vs. NightMare

 

Kim 'herO' Joon Ho, being an SSL champion and having three IEM championships under his belt, should not struggle against his former teammate Jang 'NightMare' Wook, whose achievement list consists of him qualifying for this very season of GSL. Or at least that would be a logical assumption based purely on who the competitors are. But, given the volatility of the scene, I would not be so quick in counting the underdog out. NightMare has recently been, however slightly, more successful in PvP than his current adversary and herO is known to have choked whilst under pressure in the past. To conclude, expecting herO to win 2:1 seems like the most sensible conjecture one could make, but an even better approach would be to take any predictions with a grain of salt.

 

Maru vs. GuMiho

 

A treat of a match for TvT connoisseurs. The kid with two different StarLeague trophies against the Towel Terran. What makes this matchup particularly interesting is the clash of styles represented by both players. Both are known to be versatile. Both with an abundance of builds at their disposal. Yet Cho 'Maru' Seong Ju is often associated with strong bio play that favours his multitasking capabilities, whereas Koh 'GuMiho' Byung Jae has showcased many a time how strong mech play can be when mastered to perfection. Another factor to be considered is whether Maru is going to hold back in the series, as WESG is just around the corner and the prize pool is much more promising than what one season of GSL offers the winner. One mustn't forget the youngster won his spurs by transitioning from gimmicky builds to stellar macro-oriented play. Bearing that in mind, I think a vaticination that puts Maru up 2:0 against GuMiho is not that far-fetched.

 

Predictions:

 

herO > NightMare

 

Maru > GuMiho

 

Maru > herO

 

GuMiho > NightMare

 

GuMiho > herO

 

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