IPTL Premier Division Semifinals: Reigning Champs LG-IM vs Evil Geniuses

Team Evil Geniuses, the North American fan favorites, will face LG-Incredible Miracle, the team league all-stars of Korea, in the semifinals of the IGN Pro Team League. Both teams finished the season at the top of their respective groups, with Evil Geniuses going 2-1 in Group A and LG-IM going a staggering 3-0 in Group B. Neither group had an easier draw as they each had to face some of the best teams, such as Team Liquid, MVP, StarTale, and Prime. Wednesday, EG and LG-IM will battle it out to see who continues on to the IPTL Grand Finals.

The Lineups

Evil Geniuses:

DeMusliM (T) | IdrA (Z) | iNcontroL (P) | JYP (P) | HuK (P) | LzGaMeR (Z) | Machine (Z) | PuMa (T) | Stephano (Z) | Suppy (Z) | ThorZaIN (T)

LG-IM:

dreamertt (T) | Fenix (T) | First (P) | Happy (T) | LosirA (Z) | Mvp (T) | NesTea (Z) | Ready (P) | Seed (P) | True (Z) | YoDa (T) | YongHwa (P) | Horror (Z) | SK.MC (P)

Potential Starters

EG: HuK

Despite an alleged slump over the course of this year, HuK is still considered one of the strongest players on Evil Geniuses and one of the best foreigners in the world. He has been used twice in the IPTL, as a starter against SlayerS and an ace versus MVP. HuK is known for his highly unorthodox play, which makes it hard for his opponents to predict his next move. In addition to his unpredictable play, he is known for early aggression and top-notch micro.

LG-IM: YongHwa

YongHwa is best known for his performance in team leagues. He made his televised debut in the GSTL of February 2011, during which he displayed creativity and refined mechanics against ZeNEX and StarTale, ending the season with an impressive 5-1 record. Over the course of his career, he has struggled to make top results in 1v1 tournaments. However, he has found great success in team leagues as a sniper. In the 2012 GSTL Season 3, he achieved all-kills on Fnatic and SlayerS.

Key Player(s)

EG: PuMa

PuMa is a strong Terran player, who made a name for himself in SC2 when he placed first in the NASL Season 1 Open and went on to win the grand finals, defeating notable names such as Ret, Squirtle, July, and MC. He defended his title in the second season of the NASL when he defeated HerO in the grand finals (4-2). In the IPTL semifinals, PuMa will most likely be used as a sniper against LG-IM's Protoss player due to his effective use of the 1-1-1 build order.

LG-IM: Mvp, Seed

Mvp needs no introductions. Despite injuries and a lack of practice, Mvp still dominated tournaments with high-caliber play. He is unarguably the most decorated player in the entire world, having won the GSL four times, topping the GSL rankings in both 2011 and 2012.

Mvp is a solid player with immaculate macro and micro management, making him an all-around player in team leagues.

Seed is a dangerous player to go up against. Known for his ingenious Protoss play and forthright confidence, Seed dominates both 1v1 tournaments and team leagues. He was the one who put a stop to the seemingly invincible TaeJa in the grand finals of the IPL TAC3. He is also the second Protoss GSL Champion, having won the 2012 GSL Season 3 Code S finals. Seed's versatility allows him to be used as a sniper or team ace.

Team Aces

EG: Stephano

EG's newest recruit, Stephano, is widely hailed as the best foreigner. Over the course of his career, he has won the Lone Star Clash, IPL3, ESWC 2011, NASL Season 3, the World Championship Series: France Nationals, the 2012 World Championship Series: Europe Finals, and an ample amount of other minor tournaments. Stephano's best match-up is ZvP and he is well-known for his mass speedling/infestor play as well as his heavy use of roaches. In EG's match versus Liquid, Stephano was used as an ace and he was able to take down both TaeJa and HerO to secure the win.

LG-IM: MC

MC, the Protoss President, is the best performing Protoss player in the world. This year alone, he won HomeStory Cup IV, the IEM Season VI - World Championships, and Red Bull Battlegrounds: Austin. He is the only Protoss player to have reached the GSL Code S finals three time, two of which he won. MC is known for his efficient micro of blink stalkers, his relentless aggression, and his in-your-face confidence. He was used as an ace in LG-IM's series versus StarTale and will most likely be used as such again against Evil Geniuses.

Prediction: LG-IM 5 > 3 EG

Though Evil Geniuses's lineup has gotten significantly stronger with the addition of Stephano, it will be extremely difficult for them to take down the LG-IM squad, which is stacked with the best GSL players. They are the reigning champions of IPL TAC3 for a reason. If EG is able to take down one Code S player on LG-IM, they will have to go through five more in order to win. The odds are against EG. LG-IM will advance to the finals.

Be sure to tune in tonight to see which of these powerhouses is able to advance to the grand finals of the IPTL Premier Division.

Image Sources: Team Liquid, Eclypsia, SC2Earnings, GOMtv

Source : ign[dot]com

IPTL Premier Division Semifinals: Reigning Champs LG-IM vs Evil Geniuses

Team Evil Geniuses, the North American fan favorites, will face LG-Incredible Miracle, the team league all-stars of Korea, in the semifinals of the IGN Pro Team League. Both teams finished the season at the top of their respective groups, with Evil Geniuses going 2-1 in Group A and LG-IM going a staggering 3-0 in Group B. Neither group had an easier draw as they each had to face some of the best teams, such as Team Liquid, MVP, StarTale, and Prime. Wednesday, EG and LG-IM will battle it out to see who continues on to the IPTL Grand Finals.

The Lineups

Evil Geniuses:

DeMusliM (T) | IdrA (Z) | iNcontroL (P) | JYP (P) | HuK (P) | LzGaMeR (Z) | Machine (Z) | PuMa (T) | Stephano (Z) | Suppy (Z) | ThorZaIN (T)

LG-IM:

dreamertt (T) | Fenix (T) | First (P) | Happy (T) | LosirA (Z) | Mvp (T) | NesTea (Z) | Ready (P) | Seed (P) | True (Z) | YoDa (T) | YongHwa (P) | Horror (Z) | SK.MC (P)

Potential Starters

EG: HuK

Despite an alleged slump over the course of this year, HuK is still considered one of the strongest players on Evil Geniuses and one of the best foreigners in the world. He has been used twice in the IPTL, as a starter against SlayerS and an ace versus MVP. HuK is known for his highly unorthodox play, which makes it hard for his opponents to predict his next move. In addition to his unpredictable play, he is known for early aggression and top-notch micro.

LG-IM: YongHwa

YongHwa is best known for his performance in team leagues. He made his televised debut in the GSTL of February 2011, during which he displayed creativity and refined mechanics against ZeNEX and StarTale, ending the season with an impressive 5-1 record. Over the course of his career, he has struggled to make top results in 1v1 tournaments. However, he has found great success in team leagues as a sniper. In the 2012 GSTL Season 3, he achieved all-kills on Fnatic and SlayerS.

Key Player(s)

EG: PuMa

PuMa is a strong Terran player, who made a name for himself in SC2 when he placed first in the NASL Season 1 Open and went on to win the grand finals, defeating notable names such as Ret, Squirtle, July, and MC. He defended his title in the second season of the NASL when he defeated HerO in the grand finals (4-2). In the IPTL semifinals, PuMa will most likely be used as a sniper against LG-IM's Protoss player due to his effective use of the 1-1-1 build order.

LG-IM: Mvp, Seed

Mvp needs no introductions. Despite injuries and a lack of practice, Mvp still dominated tournaments with high-caliber play. He is unarguably the most decorated player in the entire world, having won the GSL four times, topping the GSL rankings in both 2011 and 2012.

Mvp is a solid player with immaculate macro and micro management, making him an all-around player in team leagues.

Seed is a dangerous player to go up against. Known for his ingenious Protoss play and forthright confidence, Seed dominates both 1v1 tournaments and team leagues. He was the one who put a stop to the seemingly invincible TaeJa in the grand finals of the IPL TAC3. He is also the second Protoss GSL Champion, having won the 2012 GSL Season 3 Code S finals. Seed's versatility allows him to be used as a sniper or team ace.

Team Aces

EG: Stephano

EG's newest recruit, Stephano, is widely hailed as the best foreigner. Over the course of his career, he has won the Lone Star Clash, IPL3, ESWC 2011, NASL Season 3, the World Championship Series: France Nationals, the 2012 World Championship Series: Europe Finals, and an ample amount of other minor tournaments. Stephano's best match-up is ZvP and he is well-known for his mass speedling/infestor play as well as his heavy use of roaches. In EG's match versus Liquid, Stephano was used as an ace and he was able to take down both TaeJa and HerO to secure the win.

LG-IM: MC

MC, the Protoss President, is the best performing Protoss player in the world. This year alone, he won HomeStory Cup IV, the IEM Season VI - World Championships, and Red Bull Battlegrounds: Austin. He is the only Protoss player to have reached the GSL Code S finals three time, two of which he won. MC is known for his efficient micro of blink stalkers, his relentless aggression, and his in-your-face confidence. He was used as an ace in LG-IM's series versus StarTale and will most likely be used as such again against Evil Geniuses.

Prediction: LG-IM 5 > 3 EG

Though Evil Geniuses's lineup has gotten significantly stronger with the addition of Stephano, it will be extremely difficult for them to take down the LG-IM squad, which is stacked with the best GSL players. They are the reigning champions of IPL TAC3 for a reason. If EG is able to take down one Code S player on LG-IM, they will have to go through five more in order to win. The odds are against EG. LG-IM will advance to the finals.

Be sure to tune in tonight to see which of these powerhouses is able to advance to the grand finals of the IPTL Premier Division.

Image Sources: Team Liquid, Eclypsia, SC2Earnings, GOMtv

Source : ign[dot]com

IPTL Premier - MVP look to be favorites, but will they meet their potential?

MVP Clan came to life in October 2010, but December 2010 was the month when Korea StarCraft 2 Association finally recognized them as a professional team; however, it was May 2011 that put them on the Korean map for good when they took second place during GSTL 2011 May finals losing to SlayerS after very close games and five months later when they won GSTL Season 1 defeating Prime.

Yet, it is 2012 that brought them vast number of titles both for the players and the team as a whole; more GSTL medals,  third place at IPL Team Arena Challenge 1, KSL Opening Ceremonies and Asia StarCraft II Invitational Tournament. Now it’s time for the IPTL Season 1 and they are more than ready to become the ultimate champions of another team league again.

Normally this paragraph would be the beginning of “bad picks” chapter, but in case of MVP it cannot be done, since there is no bad player on the team at the moment. Even if some of them haven’t qualified for the GSL Season 4 they still have a strong or at least decent presence on the international or Korean scene. Great examples are Noblesse and finale; they haven’t won anything big in 2012 yet, but are consistently on top and in a tournament full of foreigners like IPTL Season 1 we might see them crushing bones and eating flesh of their enemies. You cannot underestimate Korean players.

Team captain and one of the best Starcraft 2 zergs in the world is DongRaeGu. Despite being a part of the scene since 2010, he made a name for himself in the second half of 2011 after winning LG Cinema 3D Special League over sC, 2011 DreamHack Valencia Invitational over ThorZaIN and taking second place during Arena of Legends 1 after losing to MarineKingPrime.

Just like any other player DRG had his slump during spring 2012 when he stopped performing as well as he used to, but currently he’s back on track. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that out of every GSTL player it is Park Soo Ho who constantly outperforms his colleagues. He almost single-handedly carried MVP in the 2011 GSTL May event and even outperformed his own track record during 2011 GSTL Season 1 with a 13-2 record. There is no other player who came close to DRG’s score.

Besides GSL and IEM championship titles there is also MLG, which was the curse of MVP’s captain until June 2012 when he finally won his first Major League Gaming title during 2012 MLG Spring Championship after crushing Alicia 3:1. Back in 2011 he won MLG Spring Arena 1, but it was a much smaller event, hence we count his latest gold medal as the first big one. Still, many other players have won MLG events before him, but it is DRG who currently has 2 of each medals in MLG events.

Another huge name for MVP is KeeN who just recently placed third in TeamLiquid StarLeague 4 taking out Sting in a very one-sided match. At the moment, together with Vampire and finale KeeN represents MVP in GSL Code A.

Sniper as a Code S player cannot be overlooked. He always gives his best and is visible on the international scene participating in number of online qualifiers.There is also Monster who proved his worth all-killing Evil Geniuses during IPL Team Arena Challenge 3 three months ago and winning GIGABYTE ESPORTS LAN Invitational.

MVP doesn't have an all-star line-up, but every single one of their players is more than capable of taking down the best in the world. Their strength lies in cooperation during team events and steadily growing skill of every member on the current roster. In IPTL Season 1 they should advance to the playoffs.

Source : ign[dot]com