MVP's zerg Soo Ho "DongRaeGu" Park prevailed over his team-mate and protoss player Min Soo "Genius" Jung to be crowned the first 2012 GSL champion. Apart from the trophy, DongRaeGu is bringing home almost $45,000 of prize money.
It took DongRaeGu six games to emerge as the Code S champion after going neck-and-neck with Genius in the first four sets. DRG started on the disadvantage, losing the Daybreak set after Genius opened with a phoenix build and later catching the zerg in a tech timing window just before his brood lords were up. Switching off to a technical play as opposed to a standard macro one, on Cloud Kingdom Genius went for a double proxy void ray/phoenix rush but a moment's hesitation and mistargeting rendered the attack impotent, letting DRG execute a hydralisk rush with a lethal mutalisk follow-up.
In game three, Genius used trickery and deceit, feinting an expansion build by showing 4th gas and then cancelling it to go for a 6-gate +1 blink timing attack. On paper, DRG had the adequate army to battle it out in the form of a sea of +1 attack lings but was ultimately outmicroed and had to type out.
Game four was played on Entombed Valley with Genius opening with a double stargate into phoenix but as it got scouted, DRG immediately went for hydralisk den and overlord drop. However, the most exciting things were happening back in the protoss base, as Genius threw down a fleet beacon but instead of upgrading his phoenixes, he went straight for carriers. Genius used his phoenixes to control the map as best as he can so he does not get scouted but a second of distraction cost him his fliers to hydra and Genius was completely blind to the incoming drop. DRG unleashed all hell upon Genius, sniped the third and all the gateway units, later finishing the carriers with a corruptor follow-up.
On Metropolis, Genius went for a 1-stargate phoenix play into a third nexus but DRG would not just sit and watch. The zerg orchestrated a roach/queen timing attack at the third of Genius and although the protoss saved his additional base, he was careless in protecting his natural wall-off and saw lings break in and snipe his main nexus. Minutes later, DRG would initiate a huge roach trade to snipe Genius' third, the latter triggering a counter attack by the protoss which eventually turned into a base race. Although having the head-to-head superiority, Genius was very indecisive at times and at one point even split his army in attempt to chase away DRG's mutalisk that were ravishing his base. That greatly reduced the potency of his army and as the mutas cleaned it all, it was 3-1 for t he zerg.
The final game was played on Crossfire and the audience saw one of the most intense wars of mobility as Genius' blink attack towards the third of DRG was followed by a counter attack from the latter. Genius was once again hesitant in his moves and failed to bring down the third but at least denied the building fourth. The game eventually grew into constant mutalisk vs blink stalkers cat-and-mouse game with both players barely mining. DRG spined up his natural until it was mined out and then transitioned all his drones to the third, while making sure Genius did not get access to his last mining mineral line. DRG showed incredible patience and calculated every engagement to the last detail to in the end clean all of Genius' stalkers and be crowned champion.
Code S 2012 Season 1 standings
1.
Soo Ho "DongRaeGu" Park, $44.5502.
Min Soo "Genius" Jung, $17.8203-4.
Byung Jae "Gumiho" Koh, $2.6703-4.
Lee Seok "Alive" Han, $2.670Detailed battle report to follow later today
