The GSL Super Tournament is two days away, and while none of the players I was rooting for made it to the finals (not even MKP), I am nonetheless excited about the match. When I watch both of these players I can see the styles of their mentors and friends at work. MMA truly reminds me of Boxer, while Polt looks like a less crazy version of MKP. Although I know that Polt's record against Terran is dismal and MMA's records is superb, I am still hoping that Polt can get a revenge kill for his friend on Saturday.
Below is the GOMTV interview with the players from yesterday:
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Q. What are your thoughts on the final of GSL Super Tournament?
MMA: Semifinals was really tough for me and I know a lot of people considered the semifinals to be the actual final. I personally think the final will be easier because MKP is better than Polt.
Polt: Starting from Ro64 ,I faced stronger opponents as I advanced. And I think MMA is stronger than oGsTOP. But since I have been getting better progressively I am confident.
Gerrard: MKP is the most hardworking and most talented player in the team. But I believe Polt facing MMA is better than having to play against MKP. We will work on building good strategies to defeat MMA.
Cella: MMA is considered as the king of TvT. And Polt is well known for his TvP sklils. I personally thought Alicia was gonna win and meet MMA in the final but was surprised to see Polt win. But he is not gonna be good enough to defeat MMA.
Note: MMA has 73% win ratio against Terrans. Polt has 35% win ratio against Terrans.
Polt: Alicia has better win ratio against Terran but I beat him so I think I will do good against MMA.
Q. MMA. You already exposed a lot of strategies against Terran. Do you think this will work against your favor?
MMA: We (SlayerS) still have an infinite number of strategies and we are ready display them in games.
Q. Polt. You have MKP, a great teammate, on your team. Are you working with MKP to come up good strategies to beat MMA?
Polt: MKP creates many good builds. Most of the builds players are using now are modified versions of what MKP has introduced first. MKP showed me a new build recently that is really great. I am ready to show it off at the final.
Q. Polt beat Alicia and MMA beat MKP. Were you asked to carry out the revenge for your teammate?
Polt: MKP said that if MMA wins the final then he will not be able to sleep comfortably. To help him sleep peacefully I will do my best to win the final.
MMA: Alicia didn’t really say anything. Alicia actually went to the reserve forces training so I will see him once he gets back.
Q. MMA. You have been showing similar patterns in your games such as secret expos or Medivac harassment. How are you going to develop this strategy?
Polt. How are you going to prepare against MMA's play style?
MMA: My strength lies in multitasking and double-way Medivac harassment. But even though people know that I am going to use that strategy in advance they don’t know how to defend against it.
Polt: I am kinda weak against Medivac harassment but all out war is also important. I am going to push through with strength.
Q. Since it’s TvT, maps are not going to affect the gameplay that much. However, which map do you think will be the deciding factor and what’s your prediction for the score?
Polt: I believe it will be the maps for 3rd or 4th set. The player who wins both sets will win the final. If the wins are split over the 3rd and 4th set, then it will go to the 7th set. I am expecting 4-1.
MMA: I believe that first set is most important because how you play your first game will affect the result of 2nd and 3rd set. I believe the score is going to be either 4-0 or 4-1.
Q. MMA. BoxeR also plays Terran and he can help out MMA with good strategies. How has BoxeR helped you make it all the way to the final?
MMA: Boxer is a great motivator and whenever he watches my game he helps me out a lot. He told me to stay calm at the semifinals after I was down 2 games. He helped me get back into the game and that’s how I was able to come back and win the game. I believe he will be of a great help to me at the final.
Q. Polt. Prime team does not have BoxeR helping out the team. How are you going to overcome that gap?
Polt: It is true that MMA has BoxeR supporting him but I have my teammates that I care about and have to lead. I have to get a revenge on MMA for MKP and I will do my best to win the team its first champion’s trophy. I will work hard to fill the gap to the best of my abilities.
Q. Prize money for the champion of GSL Super Tournament is 100 million won. Is claiming that money one of your goals in the upcoming final.
MMA: Even though the prize money is big I just want to win the championship as a pro-gamer. I have someone from SK Telecom (team) who have motivated me to win this final no matter what but I am not going to disclose more information on this until I actually hold the trophy in my hands.
Polt: Every time you play a match you have to win to take the prize money home. And it is true that money does concern me sometimes. However, once I make it to the studio and sit in that booth, the money disappears from my sight completely. And I just feel like I want to destroy the opponent in front of me. Right now defeating MMA is my only goal.
Q. Polt. This is your first time to advance to a final and your biggest enemy could be your nervousness. How are you going to overcome that obstacle?
Polt: I have not lost games in which I was able to display my full skills. I believe that if I can draw out my full SC2 skills at the final then I will have no problem overcoming the nervousness.
Gerrard: Polt is a good player but he has been having camera frights and was only able to show only 50% of what he is capable of. I just want him to stay calm and maybe I will have make him take some sedatives to do his best at the final (hahaha).
Q. MMA. After winning MLG Columbus, you said that your next goal is winning the Super Tournament. Are you nervous about the upcoming final?
MMA: The pressure from the final of an individual league is nothing compared to the pressure I faced from the GSTL final. I was the team captain and had to lead the team to the victory when they needed me the most. I think I will be able to cope with the nervousness pretty well.
Q. Polt. You are quite of a celebrity at your school. What are your thoughts on that? And is it hard to study and play at the same time?
Polt: I am grateful that people recognize me and cheer me on when the see me on campus. It is a bit tough doing both at the same time but college is college and game is game.
Note: At an interview Polt said that studying is easier than playing the game.
Q. Cella. What is MMA's biggest strength?
Cella: Other players sometimes take a break to take their mind off the game for a bit but MMA always pratices hard. When he is not playing he watches the game VODs and analyzes his opponent thoroughly. He doesn’t have any interest in other things and only takes his time off to work out. His strength is also his weakness because thanks to his characteristics, pleasing the community is a little hard.
Q. MMA do you know of Rainbow (Korean Girl Group) who will be performing at the upcoming final?
MMA: I have heard of them but I don’t know how many members they have. I just know it’s a girl group.
Q. Gerrard. What is Polt's biggest strength?
Gerrard: I believe most gamers are very focused on the game. Polt also practices a lot. Cella said concentration and constant practice is the strengths of MMA but Polt also has those strengths. On top of that, Polt also uses his practice time very efficently and effectively.
Q. Polt do you know of Rainbow (Korean Girl Group)?
Polt: Yeah I know of Rainbow and am familiar with their main song.
Note: Fans asked him to sing a line from the song but Polt kindly declined.
Q. Famous players have nicknames. Are there any nicknames you have been thinking of and would like the community to call you that nickname? And what would you do with the prize money?
Polt: I like the nickname I already have. I don’t really have anywhere to spend the prize money so I will save it and pay my tuition with it.
MMA: I have heard people call me Military Terran and that one is my least favorite. (MMA is short for Military Manpower Administration in Korea.)
I want the fans to give me a good nickname and if I win the prize money I want to help my parents get a new home.
Q. Is there a SC2 unit that you think you can use/control better than everyone else?
Polt: I am good with Marauders. Marauders are usually used against Protoss and that’s why I think my TvP is good.
MMA: I am good with Mules. Just kidding. I use Marines pretty well.
Q. MMA. Not Medivacs?
MMA: Wel I can control Medivacs well but Marines are the ones that get in the Medivac.
Q. What are the differences between MKP’s Marines and your Marines?
MMA: Don’t really wanna face his Marines really and I don't want to talk about the differences. I will need my Medivacs.
Q. Are there times when during break you feel like you want to use cheese rush or strategies other than the ones you have prepared?
MMA: I try to stick to my original plan but when I feel like a certain strategy would work better then I use that strategy.
Polt: I always stick to the strategy I have prepared. There is a saying that whenever you take a test the first answer is always the right one. I don't want to be wrong.
Q. Polt. Do you actually guess on some of your answers during the test?
Polt: Sometimes…
Q. What do you think of the balance?
Polt: I believe it changes depending on the map. Overall, GSL maps are comfortable for me as a Terran player but I am not sure about how it is for Protoss or Zerg because I don’t play those races.
MMA: I also believe that it changes depending on the map. There were certain maps that were good for Terran but I believe when the new maps come out people will complain less about the balance. I think Protoss is a strong race but some players don’t use its strengths well.
Q. MMA. You were recently eliminated from another tournament. What happened? Also what do you think about the comments about your looks?
MMA: I lost yesterday because I lack skill. And I know my face is little shady due to my facial hair. I shave often but it just keeps growing back. I am planning on doing something about this in the near future.
Q. Polt. What do you think about the comments about your looks?
Polt: People get mad when others say that I am good looking. I haven’t personally thought about it and don’t really care about it.
Q. Coaches. What are you doing to prepare your players for the final?
Gerrard: We have MKP who is helping out a lot. Polt had to do his school work while playing the game and that’s why he had trouble making up new builds but MKP has been of a great help. MKP is good at building new builds and strategies but Polt is good at adapting to those strategies, analyzing his opponents and making that strategy one of his own. We will do our best to help Polt get ready for the final.
Cella: There aren’t many things I can advise MMA on regarding TvT strategies since MMA is already on a high level. However, SlayserS is known as the top notch Terran team. We have BoxeR and are able to make good strategies. Ganzi, BoxeR, and Ryung will be a good support for MMA.
Q. Many people didn’t want TvT for the final. But there are various types of Terrans. When you have to play against a Terran player which type is worse? A classic textbook Terran that is predictable but strong or unorthodox Terran that is using risky but powerful strategies?
Polt: Speedy Terran is pretty tough to play against but you end up winning when you defend their attacks. However, players like NaDa are hard to fight against even though you know what they are trying to do.
MMA: Strategies like double Barracks, Mech and Gas first are being used these days.However, classic textbook Terran is strong. And sticking to the basics will win you the game.
Q. What are some of the hard things you have been facing preparing for the final?
Polt: I had a busy schedule and I am exhausted but I believe MMA had to go through the same schedule so maintaining a good condition for the final is important and is definitely necessary.
MMA: I don’t agree with Polt. I went to MLG and was so tired after the event. I was in zombie mode for a while so I don't think Polt and I had to go through the same schedule. I agree that maintaining a good condition is important, however.
Q. Coaches. You will have a champion from your team soon. What are your thoughts on this?
Cella: I want MMA to do his best since the opportunity doesn't come often. SC2 is still in its beginning stage and I want the fans to help us make this game something bigger than what it is now.
Gerrard: MKP advanced to the final 3 times but couldn’t take home the trophy. And now Polt is at the final. Many players share the dream of becoming the champion but I am going to help Polt win the Optimus ID and this will be passed on to the next player who wins the championship. Hopefully this will motivate MKP to work harder as well. It’s going to be some form of title at the Prime house.
Q. Players have to face slump at some point. How do you overcome your slump or stress when you practice?
MMA: Whenever I experience slump I tell myself that it’s okay as long as my skill level doesn’t drop. Whenever games don’t work out well I exercise. I play soccer or go hiking with my teammates.
Polt: The game changed rapidly recently and when I couldn’t adapt to the change I experience slump. Thinking about my current situation and adapting to the change helped me overcome the slump.
