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ISL 7 Round of 16
by unknown · 2012-09-10
This Round of 16 is the most stacked the ISL has ever seen. Every single contender is a man that has the ability to win the championship. It also puts the rumors of Zerg domination on somewhat of a lie. With only 5 Zergs and 1 Protoss hope, the 10 Terrans have come to conquer.
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* Blungy (70.1% vT) vs Noble (65.1% vT)
All Time Series : Blungy 1 - 0 Noble
Over the past season TORRES has slowly placed himself into being called the number 1 terran player to ever be in Shakuras. Since placing 3rd in IRCSL 1, Noble has claimed 2 silvers (IRCSL 2 and Prop 19 ISL) along with a bronze (CMCS). This puts him at a whopping 5 medals, but still no gold. Blungy brings a single medal (2nd place MLP ISL) but could be considered the more dangerous TvTer. All in all, this is a big time matchup between two former finalists. In the end, Noble is still Noble.
Prediction - Noble 2 - 1 Blungy
* Hide (78.2% vT) vs Tamp3r (76.7% vZ)
All Time Series : Hide 1 - 0 Tamp3r
HidE is the number one player in the game as of now, recently winning the CMCS 1st place. That, along with his IRCSL 1 gold, makes him a multiple time champion. He is also on an incredible hot streak, winning his last 17 games. However, none of that means anything if Hide does not win ISL gold. By far, he is the best player to not have even made a ISL championship match yet, getting upset by Noble in the Round of 4 last starleague. If Hide wants to undoubtly surpass Birdman, he must win this. On the flip side, tamp3r is a terran with incredible TvZ. Will this challenge the absolute best ZvTer in the game? Heck no.
Prediction - Hide 2 - 0 Tamp3r
* Echoic (61.5% vT) vs Turdman (87.3% vZ)
All Time Series : Echoic 1 - 1 Turdman
Echoic is an old, talented star for a team that has been in Proleague every single season. HEI brings unbelievably talented TvZ along with incredible charisma (just look at that name). Turdman's stats could be deceptive though, as he has had 2.x competition rather than the elite level players that Echoic faces. In the end however, Echoic looks too much like a player that relies on his experience. With that in mind, Turdman will be happily beat Echoic.
Prediction - Echoic 0 - 2 Turdman
* Lightning (65.5% vT) vs Ghost (65.6% vT)
All Time Series : Never Played
This is the marquee matchup of the round, pitting a former champion against one of the biggest up and coming players. Lightning definately shocked me and my predictions with his 2-0 margin of victory coming out of the group stages. Champions can just never be counted out. Ghost is an absolute BW playing robot, only losing to the undefatigable PvT of Hiro. In a matchup where $1 of salary and 0.1% separates the two players, this might come down to the expected engine change. With exp possibly being nerfed for these matches, Lightning's 4 points of exp advantage will leave him handicapped against the superior stats of Ghost. History might prove otherwise though. Lightning's run through MLP ISL had him beating Xello, Consonance (TvT God) and the aforementioned Blungy. With this in mind, I make a cautious prediction.
Prediction - Lightning 1 - 2 Ghost
* Seta (71.4% vZ) vs Mafia Zerg (65% vT)
All Time Series : Seta 2 - 0 Mafia Zerg
Setä is the star of WTM, possibly managed by the greatest lineup setter in the history of the game. He's had an illustrius career, but Mafia Zerg will definately look to end Seta's run in ISL 7. Mafia's stats are too good, and in the last round, he ate Frozean 2-0, an elite level TvZer in his own right. Even though the winrates and history favor Seta, Mafia's stats are simply too much.
Prediction - Seta 0 - 2 Mafia Zerg
* Hiro (76.2% vT) vs Kekemaketa (64% vP)
All Time Series : Never Played
Misaya is the great protoss hope. In a game where no Men of Aiur have won a championship, Hiro has the luck of bringing his godlike PvT against TORRES . While Keke arguably has the better stats, he'll have to pull a Noble to win in this giffy. The greatest player who has never made it past the Round of 16 will do what he does best. Lose in the Round of 16.
Prediction - Hiro 2 - 0 Kekemaketa
* Xello (67.4% vT) vs Fools (63% vT)
All Time Series : Never Played
Xello and Fools are two of the lesser known Terrans in this group of superstars. Both are also playing in their weakest matchup of TvT, so to figure out who will win, I consulted other managers. Whisperkill said that Fools had been built to be a TvZ sniper, and so he would not fare well against Xello's raw Terran slaying ability. Vaultdweller countered the argument, saying "It is Fool-ish to pick against Fools". The brilliant Ascent's mind was picked for a comment to end the tie. His reply was a simple "Xello will win 2-0. Fools sucks".
Prediction - Xello 2 - 0 Fools
* Birdman (84% vZ) vs Kolll (70.4% vZ)
All Time Series : Never Played
The Birdjwa and the Enigma Zerg, arguably the number 2 and 3 zerg players in the game roar into battle against each other. BIRDMAN will have a change of scenary, and that might energize the oldster to give his new manager an empathic win against up and coming Kolll . Kolll showed his skill to the world with his 2nd place showing in IRCSL 1, where he took a set off of Hide. He later backed it up with a bronze in IRCSL 2. Birdman has 3 ISL golds though, winning the championship end. tslStrange was asked for comment. The following is a paraphrase of his words. "Kolll is who I think will win ISL 7".
Prediction - Birdman 1 - 2 Kolll
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Thanks to everyone who helped me write this up and who was involved. These are my predictions, but the other guys swayed my mind around to help me write the best article possible. Happy ISL 7 to all!
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* Blungy (70.1% vT) vs Noble (65.1% vT)
All Time Series : Blungy 1 - 0 Noble
Over the past season TORRES has slowly placed himself into being called the number 1 terran player to ever be in Shakuras. Since placing 3rd in IRCSL 1, Noble has claimed 2 silvers (IRCSL 2 and Prop 19 ISL) along with a bronze (CMCS). This puts him at a whopping 5 medals, but still no gold. Blungy brings a single medal (2nd place MLP ISL) but could be considered the more dangerous TvTer. All in all, this is a big time matchup between two former finalists. In the end, Noble is still Noble.
Prediction - Noble 2 - 1 Blungy
* Hide (78.2% vT) vs Tamp3r (76.7% vZ)
All Time Series : Hide 1 - 0 Tamp3r
HidE is the number one player in the game as of now, recently winning the CMCS 1st place. That, along with his IRCSL 1 gold, makes him a multiple time champion. He is also on an incredible hot streak, winning his last 17 games. However, none of that means anything if Hide does not win ISL gold. By far, he is the best player to not have even made a ISL championship match yet, getting upset by Noble in the Round of 4 last starleague. If Hide wants to undoubtly surpass Birdman, he must win this. On the flip side, tamp3r is a terran with incredible TvZ. Will this challenge the absolute best ZvTer in the game? Heck no.
Prediction - Hide 2 - 0 Tamp3r
* Echoic (61.5% vT) vs Turdman (87.3% vZ)
All Time Series : Echoic 1 - 1 Turdman
Echoic is an old, talented star for a team that has been in Proleague every single season. HEI brings unbelievably talented TvZ along with incredible charisma (just look at that name). Turdman's stats could be deceptive though, as he has had 2.x competition rather than the elite level players that Echoic faces. In the end however, Echoic looks too much like a player that relies on his experience. With that in mind, Turdman will be happily beat Echoic.
Prediction - Echoic 0 - 2 Turdman
* Lightning (65.5% vT) vs Ghost (65.6% vT)
All Time Series : Never Played
This is the marquee matchup of the round, pitting a former champion against one of the biggest up and coming players. Lightning definately shocked me and my predictions with his 2-0 margin of victory coming out of the group stages. Champions can just never be counted out. Ghost is an absolute BW playing robot, only losing to the undefatigable PvT of Hiro. In a matchup where $1 of salary and 0.1% separates the two players, this might come down to the expected engine change. With exp possibly being nerfed for these matches, Lightning's 4 points of exp advantage will leave him handicapped against the superior stats of Ghost. History might prove otherwise though. Lightning's run through MLP ISL had him beating Xello, Consonance (TvT God) and the aforementioned Blungy. With this in mind, I make a cautious prediction.
Prediction - Lightning 1 - 2 Ghost
* Seta (71.4% vZ) vs Mafia Zerg (65% vT)
All Time Series : Seta 2 - 0 Mafia Zerg
Setä is the star of WTM, possibly managed by the greatest lineup setter in the history of the game. He's had an illustrius career, but Mafia Zerg will definately look to end Seta's run in ISL 7. Mafia's stats are too good, and in the last round, he ate Frozean 2-0, an elite level TvZer in his own right. Even though the winrates and history favor Seta, Mafia's stats are simply too much.
Prediction - Seta 0 - 2 Mafia Zerg
* Hiro (76.2% vT) vs Kekemaketa (64% vP)
All Time Series : Never Played
Misaya is the great protoss hope. In a game where no Men of Aiur have won a championship, Hiro has the luck of bringing his godlike PvT against TORRES . While Keke arguably has the better stats, he'll have to pull a Noble to win in this giffy. The greatest player who has never made it past the Round of 16 will do what he does best. Lose in the Round of 16.
Prediction - Hiro 2 - 0 Kekemaketa
* Xello (67.4% vT) vs Fools (63% vT)
All Time Series : Never Played
Xello and Fools are two of the lesser known Terrans in this group of superstars. Both are also playing in their weakest matchup of TvT, so to figure out who will win, I consulted other managers. Whisperkill said that Fools had been built to be a TvZ sniper, and so he would not fare well against Xello's raw Terran slaying ability. Vaultdweller countered the argument, saying "It is Fool-ish to pick against Fools". The brilliant Ascent's mind was picked for a comment to end the tie. His reply was a simple "Xello will win 2-0. Fools sucks".
Prediction - Xello 2 - 0 Fools
* Birdman (84% vZ) vs Kolll (70.4% vZ)
All Time Series : Never Played
The Birdjwa and the Enigma Zerg, arguably the number 2 and 3 zerg players in the game roar into battle against each other. BIRDMAN will have a change of scenary, and that might energize the oldster to give his new manager an empathic win against up and coming Kolll . Kolll showed his skill to the world with his 2nd place showing in IRCSL 1, where he took a set off of Hide. He later backed it up with a bronze in IRCSL 2. Birdman has 3 ISL golds though, winning the championship end. tslStrange was asked for comment. The following is a paraphrase of his words. "Kolll is who I think will win ISL 7".
Prediction - Birdman 1 - 2 Kolll
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Thanks to everyone who helped me write this up and who was involved. These are my predictions, but the other guys swayed my mind around to help me write the best article possible. Happy ISL 7 to all!