Kingdom of KHAN
Led by their ace Stork and secondary Jangbi, Samsung Khan is looking to make a resurgence in this season’s Winner’s League. Let’s take a look into the strengths and weaknesses of this powerful Kingdom’s major players.
Lord
To conquer any kingdom, the ruler must fall. However, taking down KHAN’s Lord of Aiur is no easy task. The former king of silver, Song Byung Goo, has a wealth of experience playing top players in pressure cooker situations, making him a natural powerhouse for Winner’s League. Stork has been playing very well in recent months. He advanced deep into the OSL and led KHAN to a 7-4 record in Round 2. Protoss and Terrans have fallen to Stork left and right. His one weakness seems to be high-level Zerg play in the early game (aka shine). Still, one thing is for certain: Stork will give Khan a chance against any team on any night to get a win. Five years of high quality play leaves no doubt as to Stork’s status as a true ace player.
Knight
At this point in his career, KHAN’s knight Heo Yeong Moo has become a well known entity. No Terran ever wants to see him in the other booth; his record PvT elo speaks for itself. If losing wasn’t bad enough, what human commander would willingly send his tank commanders out to die screaming like little girls beneath JangBi’s Zeus infused psionic storms. Jangbi’s PvP should not be underestimated either. Even in the era of the six dragons, Jangbi was able to continuously advance in starleagues and earn wins in Proleague largely due to his skill in this matchup. Who can forget him fending off Bisu’s three-gate goon build despite going for an early expo in the Avalon MSL? Still the Achilles Heel of this knight is his versus Zerg matchup. Since his lost to luxury in the Lost Saga MSL, Jangbi’s PvZ has just been off. Dual stargate builds aside; it has been some time since JangBi has earned a quality win against a Zerg opponent. This knight will not often lead off for the forces of Khan, but expect to come in second or third in the lineup, softening the enemy forces for the coup de grace by Stork.
Court Jester
The Dancing Fool, Lee Sung Eun, has an opportunity to make a comeback in the Winner’s League. We haven’t heard his name fondly mentioned in many months, but Winner’s League offers all players a chance at redemption and name building. Why else do we know who PianO is? Firebathero’s most important contribution to Khan’s Winner’s League success will be his Zerg sniping. If KHAN is going to make it far this season, FBH must regain his TvZ form. JangBi and Stork can handle just about any Terran or Protoss that shows their face, but zergs will always be their bane. If FirebatHero regains the ability to take down top Zergs, as he used to do, expect to see Samsung KHAN in the Winner’s League Playoffs. If not, they will likely be on the outside looking in.
Strategist
Samsung KHAN’s Strategist is none other than the most famous coach in StarCraft, the legendary January. In Round 1 of Proleague, doubts began to surface as she used a large number of questionable lineups, often leaving JangBi and/or Stork out of matches. In Round 2, she stopped trying to be excessively creative and Samsung KHAN is once again looking like a strong team. Winner’s League is an excellent time for January to show off her skills. If she can plot unexpected matchups, snipes, and traps for top players like Flash, Jaedong, and Effort, KHAN will have a decisive edge in those crucial series.
Squires
Every commander needs supporting soldiers. That’s where the Squires of KHAN come into play. Expect to see Great, TurN, oDin, and M18M heavily prepped for specific matchups and maps. Great in particular could be an unexpected surprise for KHAN. He is one of the few lesser known players winning over half his games in every matchup. As the only competent Zerg for Khan, great will be called upon to perform on Zerg-favored maps. TurN is an extremely entertaining player full of early game pushes and cheeses. It’s exactly the type of play that could catch a top player by surprise. After all, he nearly beat Bisu. M18M and KHAN’s captain oDin could also see some play time. M18M has done well in minor league and could be given an opportunity to prove himself with the big boys.
Common People
All of the other players. Mostly just practice partners and cheerleaders. The list includes Juni, Brave, Chavi, and tons of players who have never played a televised game. As William Shatner sings:You'll never live like common people!
You'll never do whatever common people do!
You'll never fail like common people!
The Final Word
Samsung KHAN will do very well against Terran heavy lineups (MBC, WeMade, Hite) but struggle against those heavy with Zerg players with good ZvP (STX, OZ, CJ). If Stork and JangBi are on their game, this team will simply be tough to beat. A resurgent FBH or rising performance by Great could put this team over the top. Expect them to compete for one of the final spots for the playoffs.
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