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Violet ISL: RO16
by VaultDweller · 2012-12-07
Foreword:
Since our regular ISL contributor LongBow is regrettably busy with other commitments, this round of the fabled Violet ISL will be covered by a makeshift writer: Yours truly; VaultDweller. I have tried to persevere the amazing quality that LongBow has brought us in the past, and I dearly hope that all of you enjoy reading this as much I did writing it.
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Last season LongBow called the ro16: most stacked ever. Well believe it or not, this season the ro16 might just be bigger and better than ever before. The race balance of this round is an interesting change from last season as well. Last season we had 10 Terrans dominate the ro16; this time around we have 10 Zergs ready to wreck havoc. The remaining spots go to four Terrans and only Two Protosses, which is actually an improvement from the sole protoss of last season’s ro16.
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* HidE (80.5% vZ) vs. TORRES (54.9% vZ)
All Time Series: HidE 4 – 0 TORRES
HidE comes into this match as the reigning ISL champion and fresh off winning the coveted Proleague. On the other hand,TORRES is perhaps the biggest underdog still in the ISL: playing a stellar role for Mangos, but not used to being the one in the spotlight. TORRES has had one of his best ever seasons, with an overall winrate of 60% and managing an acceptable 52.9% in Proleague games as well. But matched against HidE ’s absurd 91.5% winrate for the season, things are about to get rough for the Mango’s Zerg. HidE recently lost to BIRDMAN in Proleague, bringing him his first map defeat since the last ISL finals, proving that the butcher still bleeds: even if only on rare occasions.
Prediction: HidE 2-0 TORRES
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* 1 (72.9% vT) vs. StaRbouNd (73.6% vT)
All Time series: 1 2-2 StaRbouNd
Here we have two very evenly matched Terrans clashing in what is bound to be an epic TvT bout.1 Has had a somewhat unremarkable season, being stellar when sent out by MyTeam in 1.2 and pretty much clearing house in previous rounds of ISL. Nevertheless, 1 ’s TvT has been nothing short of spectacular this past season, going 17-1. StaRbouNd , who has often been revered for his TvT, on the other hand has not had the greatest of seasons. Having faced the tough challenge of Proleague, his overall winrate sits at 55.6% and his once godly TvT at only 50%. I would not count StaRbouNd out at this point, but going with recent results I am calling for 1 to take this.
Prediction: 1 2-1 StaRbouNd
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* Kolll (70.5% vZ) vs. CrazyHydra (74% vZ)
All Time Series: Kolll 0-2 CrazyHydra
The ZvZ ISL continues, with a tough matchup between two 1.x’s top Zegs, both of whom are heading to Proleague next season. Kolll has looked poised to make a deep run in the ISL for the last couple of seasons, but with no success. He is one of the few player in the game that can currently stand almost toe-to-toe with HidE in challenge matches, but is still somewhat untested when it comes to the real top class competition. His opponent, CrazyHydra , has been living in the shadow of his teammate Mafia Zerg but make no mistake, he is one very skilled Zerg. Even though Kolll is down 0-2 against CrazyHydra , those games were played over a year ago and much has changed since. This one as many other games in this round, could go both ways but Kolll currently holds a pretty hefty advantage in condition and is thus my odds-on favorite to advance.
Prediction: Kolll 2-0 CrazyHydra
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* Mafia Zerg (67.1% vZ) vs. Don Bilbo (73.3% vZ)
All Time Series: Never played.
Here we have a first time encounter between two fan favorites, the latest ISL runner up Mafia Zerg and the people’s champion, the man behind Free Beer: Don Bilbo . Don Bilbo ’s statistics are a bit inflated due to his relatively easier competition down in 2.x, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have what it takes to make a splash in the ISL. However, going up against Mafia Zerg would be a massive task for anyone. Mafia Zerg has proven time after time that he belongs in the top echelons of Shakuras, and is truly a Zerg to behold. He is currently at a low-ish condition and that might be just enough for the resilient Don Bilbo to win what might turn out to be his farewell match in Free Beer colors, as FreshD has informed us that he will be leaving Shakuras once Bilbo finishes his current ISL run.
PredictionMafia Zerg 2-1 Don Bilbo
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* Xello (75.7% vZ) vs. Harmony (63.2% vT)
All Time Series: Never played
He has been called the best Terran in the game, and being 5th in Elo, Xello certainly has a strong case for it, as he prepares to take Proleague by storm next season. Harmony has silently crept up the ranks to become a world class Zerg just on the outskirts of the S-class. A definite flaw in Harmony ’s current gameplay seems to be his ZvT, which is his lowest ranked matchup. And it was on the back of his strong ZvP and rapidly improving ZvZ that Harmony got himself to the round of 16, only having to best SpaceGhost on the way. Xello has not looked invincible in the matchup either, losing some surprising games here and there during the past season, but overall his TvZ seems far more stellar. The condition advantage also heavily favors the Fts Terran, so expecting a clean sweep here.
Prediction Xello 2-0 Harmony
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* BIRDMAN (83.3% vZ) vs. Hatred (71.3% vZ)
All Time Series: BIRDMAN 2-0 Hatred
This is certainly one of the most highly contested matches of the round, as the original Bonjwa; BIRDMAN faces off against a perennial ISL choker: Hatred . On the surface Hatred looks like a true title contender, yet time and time again he has failed to make a significant contribution in the individual leagues. There were some doubts about BIRDMAN ’s relevance after his loss to Mafia Zerg in the last ISL, but the Bird has proved that he still has what it takes, after leading the charge for WTM in the Proleague; even taking down HidE in the penultimate match of the season. This might be the moment for Hatred to finally break out of the shadows, but doing so against the three-time ISL champion will not be easy.
Prediction: BIRDMAN 2-1 Hatred
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* Nal_rA (80% vP) vs. Kalkaros (68.7% vP)
All Time Series: Nal_rA 2-0 Kalkaros
Oh the irony, it is the Violet ISL and cruel fate has pitted the two remaining Protoss contestants against each other in this heated ro16 matchup. Nal_rA is arguably the best Protoss in the game and has been doing very well lately: only losing 3 maps this past season. Kalkaros has been relatively quiet, with his other teammates soaking up most of the attention in WTM. But for a long while now he has been a stellar performer, who has ended up carrying the Protoss flag this season after edging out tamp3r and teammate Setä in the ro32. Given that the winner of this match will be the only hope for a Protoss to win the Violet ISL, I will rest my hopes on Nal_rA .
Prediction: Nal_rA 2-0 Kalkaros
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* Badger (66.2% vT) vs. TORRES (66.1% vZ)
All Time Series: Badger 0-2 TORRES
This is in my mind the match to watch in the ro16. TORRES represents the old guard, having earned honors through his career and never truly fading away and is still among the best Terrans in the game. Badger has recently invigorated his career after moving to NB, and has been truly amazing alongside HidE as they now occupy the top 2 Elo ranks. Badger is definitely on a hot streak, but it was in fact TORRES who last let him taste defeat, so we can expect a close fought battle. My brain says to go with Badger , but heart says to stick with the ever resilient TORRES .
Prediction: Badger 1-2 TORRES
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So thats how I feel the round of 16 will turn out, based solely on my expert analytical skills and gut feelings. These are some of the questions we are left with as ISL progresses: Can Don Bilbo make a fairytale ISL run? Will HidE be stopped? Can Noble finally taste gold? Can I out predict the prediction Bonjwa?
Thats all for now folks, thank you all for reading.
Best Regards,
VaultDweller
Since our regular ISL contributor LongBow is regrettably busy with other commitments, this round of the fabled Violet ISL will be covered by a makeshift writer: Yours truly; VaultDweller. I have tried to persevere the amazing quality that LongBow has brought us in the past, and I dearly hope that all of you enjoy reading this as much I did writing it.
---
Last season LongBow called the ro16: most stacked ever. Well believe it or not, this season the ro16 might just be bigger and better than ever before. The race balance of this round is an interesting change from last season as well. Last season we had 10 Terrans dominate the ro16; this time around we have 10 Zergs ready to wreck havoc. The remaining spots go to four Terrans and only Two Protosses, which is actually an improvement from the sole protoss of last season’s ro16.
---
* HidE (80.5% vZ) vs. TORRES (54.9% vZ)
All Time Series: HidE 4 – 0 TORRES
HidE comes into this match as the reigning ISL champion and fresh off winning the coveted Proleague. On the other hand,TORRES is perhaps the biggest underdog still in the ISL: playing a stellar role for Mangos, but not used to being the one in the spotlight. TORRES has had one of his best ever seasons, with an overall winrate of 60% and managing an acceptable 52.9% in Proleague games as well. But matched against HidE ’s absurd 91.5% winrate for the season, things are about to get rough for the Mango’s Zerg. HidE recently lost to BIRDMAN in Proleague, bringing him his first map defeat since the last ISL finals, proving that the butcher still bleeds: even if only on rare occasions.
Prediction: HidE 2-0 TORRES
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* 1 (72.9% vT) vs. StaRbouNd (73.6% vT)
All Time series: 1 2-2 StaRbouNd
Here we have two very evenly matched Terrans clashing in what is bound to be an epic TvT bout.1 Has had a somewhat unremarkable season, being stellar when sent out by MyTeam in 1.2 and pretty much clearing house in previous rounds of ISL. Nevertheless, 1 ’s TvT has been nothing short of spectacular this past season, going 17-1. StaRbouNd , who has often been revered for his TvT, on the other hand has not had the greatest of seasons. Having faced the tough challenge of Proleague, his overall winrate sits at 55.6% and his once godly TvT at only 50%. I would not count StaRbouNd out at this point, but going with recent results I am calling for 1 to take this.
Prediction: 1 2-1 StaRbouNd
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* Kolll (70.5% vZ) vs. CrazyHydra (74% vZ)
All Time Series: Kolll 0-2 CrazyHydra
The ZvZ ISL continues, with a tough matchup between two 1.x’s top Zegs, both of whom are heading to Proleague next season. Kolll has looked poised to make a deep run in the ISL for the last couple of seasons, but with no success. He is one of the few player in the game that can currently stand almost toe-to-toe with HidE in challenge matches, but is still somewhat untested when it comes to the real top class competition. His opponent, CrazyHydra , has been living in the shadow of his teammate Mafia Zerg but make no mistake, he is one very skilled Zerg. Even though Kolll is down 0-2 against CrazyHydra , those games were played over a year ago and much has changed since. This one as many other games in this round, could go both ways but Kolll currently holds a pretty hefty advantage in condition and is thus my odds-on favorite to advance.
Prediction: Kolll 2-0 CrazyHydra
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* Mafia Zerg (67.1% vZ) vs. Don Bilbo (73.3% vZ)
All Time Series: Never played.
Here we have a first time encounter between two fan favorites, the latest ISL runner up Mafia Zerg and the people’s champion, the man behind Free Beer: Don Bilbo . Don Bilbo ’s statistics are a bit inflated due to his relatively easier competition down in 2.x, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have what it takes to make a splash in the ISL. However, going up against Mafia Zerg would be a massive task for anyone. Mafia Zerg has proven time after time that he belongs in the top echelons of Shakuras, and is truly a Zerg to behold. He is currently at a low-ish condition and that might be just enough for the resilient Don Bilbo to win what might turn out to be his farewell match in Free Beer colors, as FreshD has informed us that he will be leaving Shakuras once Bilbo finishes his current ISL run.
PredictionMafia Zerg 2-1 Don Bilbo
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* Xello (75.7% vZ) vs. Harmony (63.2% vT)
All Time Series: Never played
He has been called the best Terran in the game, and being 5th in Elo, Xello certainly has a strong case for it, as he prepares to take Proleague by storm next season. Harmony has silently crept up the ranks to become a world class Zerg just on the outskirts of the S-class. A definite flaw in Harmony ’s current gameplay seems to be his ZvT, which is his lowest ranked matchup. And it was on the back of his strong ZvP and rapidly improving ZvZ that Harmony got himself to the round of 16, only having to best SpaceGhost on the way. Xello has not looked invincible in the matchup either, losing some surprising games here and there during the past season, but overall his TvZ seems far more stellar. The condition advantage also heavily favors the Fts Terran, so expecting a clean sweep here.
Prediction Xello 2-0 Harmony
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* BIRDMAN (83.3% vZ) vs. Hatred (71.3% vZ)
All Time Series: BIRDMAN 2-0 Hatred
This is certainly one of the most highly contested matches of the round, as the original Bonjwa; BIRDMAN faces off against a perennial ISL choker: Hatred . On the surface Hatred looks like a true title contender, yet time and time again he has failed to make a significant contribution in the individual leagues. There were some doubts about BIRDMAN ’s relevance after his loss to Mafia Zerg in the last ISL, but the Bird has proved that he still has what it takes, after leading the charge for WTM in the Proleague; even taking down HidE in the penultimate match of the season. This might be the moment for Hatred to finally break out of the shadows, but doing so against the three-time ISL champion will not be easy.
Prediction: BIRDMAN 2-1 Hatred
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* Nal_rA (80% vP) vs. Kalkaros (68.7% vP)
All Time Series: Nal_rA 2-0 Kalkaros
Oh the irony, it is the Violet ISL and cruel fate has pitted the two remaining Protoss contestants against each other in this heated ro16 matchup. Nal_rA is arguably the best Protoss in the game and has been doing very well lately: only losing 3 maps this past season. Kalkaros has been relatively quiet, with his other teammates soaking up most of the attention in WTM. But for a long while now he has been a stellar performer, who has ended up carrying the Protoss flag this season after edging out tamp3r and teammate Setä in the ro32. Given that the winner of this match will be the only hope for a Protoss to win the Violet ISL, I will rest my hopes on Nal_rA .
Prediction: Nal_rA 2-0 Kalkaros
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* Badger (66.2% vT) vs. TORRES (66.1% vZ)
All Time Series: Badger 0-2 TORRES
This is in my mind the match to watch in the ro16. TORRES represents the old guard, having earned honors through his career and never truly fading away and is still among the best Terrans in the game. Badger has recently invigorated his career after moving to NB, and has been truly amazing alongside HidE as they now occupy the top 2 Elo ranks. Badger is definitely on a hot streak, but it was in fact TORRES who last let him taste defeat, so we can expect a close fought battle. My brain says to go with Badger , but heart says to stick with the ever resilient TORRES .
Prediction: Badger 1-2 TORRES
---
So thats how I feel the round of 16 will turn out, based solely on my expert analytical skills and gut feelings. These are some of the questions we are left with as ISL progresses: Can Don Bilbo make a fairytale ISL run? Will HidE be stopped? Can Noble finally taste gold? Can I out predict the prediction Bonjwa?
Thats all for now folks, thank you all for reading.
Best Regards,
VaultDweller